A Mistake to be Born
by Iridescent Bellisle Cullen
Summary: What did Miss Trunchbull mean that there were all mistakes of children, and that she was never a child? Something terrible, no doubt. See what turned her into the person she was. Partly based on the movie, mostly the book. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Prologue: What an ugly baby!

The afternoon was a dismal one. Dark, murky clouds were pouring out sheets of rain heavily on the Trunchbull residence.

The Trunchbulls owned a grand, but very gloomy Victorian. It was slate-gray, with a large porch and white windows. However, a flowerbed of bright blue lobelias and daisies looked cheerful and well-kept.

Inside of the house, in the vast upstairs hallway, Theodore Trunchbull was pacing nervously. Occasionally, he glanced at his bedroom door. On the other side, his wife Elizabeth was giving brith.

Minutes later, there was a loud wail. Then the doctor-Dr. Briggs-opened the door. "You have a strong, healthy daughter," the wizened old man beamed.

Theodore rushed into the room. There, in the bed, lay Elizabeth holding a large bundle. She turned the baby to him unsmilingly. Theodore halted.

The baby did not remotely look like him or his wife. Theodore had black hair, clear blue eyes, a fine nose and sweet mouth. He also ad nicely modelled features. Elizabeth had dark-blonde hair, dark-blue eyes, a straight nose and prim mouth. She had delicate, porcelain skin.

The baby, on the other hand, had dark-brown hair. Her blue eyes were faded, and she had a crooked nose and lopsided mouth. Her face was rather pouchy, as well as her arms. Only one thought came to Theodore, and he whispered it aloud.

"What an ugly baby!"

Then, catching his wife's eye he inquired, "W-What shall we name her?"

"Agatha," replied Elizabeth. Secretly, she felt the same way as Theodore. "It's the perfect name for her."

(A/N: Sorry it's so short, but the other chapters will be longer. This is just the prologue. Please review.)


	2. Chapter 1: Pain, Sadness, and Hate

The Truncbulls were very rich, but they were not very kind people-to anyone poor, unhandsome, or unpretty at least. Even so, no one in the small village of Vanford liked or admired them.

Everyone in Vanford agreed that Theodore was a whiskey-imbibing miser who spent most of his money at the tavern. It was also well known that Elizabeth was a terrible housekeeper who downed tremendous amounts of liquor and gin. Word went around that Theodore Trunchbull would drink up his father's inheritance as fast as lightning.

A few months had passed since Agatha's birth. Theodore and Elizabeth began to discuss her future.

"She may be our first child, but she is not pretty enough to inherit our families' fortunes," Theodore was stating. "What shall we do with her?"

Drunkenly, Elizabeth shrugged. "I don't know. I guess we'll have to put her to work. But she'll only get a job as a teacher or a maid, with her looks," she mumbled thickly. "I don't care what happens as long as she doesn't inherit any of our possessions."

Theodore nodded. "Yes. But someone has to have our possessions, and we don't have any other relatives. We'll have to have more children. Hopefully, they'll look better than _her_," he declared.

"Well, I'm not ready to have another baby yet. I've had enough of pain giving birth to _her_," growled Elizabeth.

They never referred to their daughter as Agatha. If a neighbor chanced to hear them, they would have felt pity for Agatha and disgust for Theodore and Elizabeth.

Everyone in Vanford knew that Theodore and Elizabeth have a baby, but she was rarely seen. Elizabeth did not leave the mansion very often before Agatha's birth. Afterwards, she was only seen once or twice. The citizens of the village thought that she was busy taking care of Agatha. Truthfully, however, Theodore and Elizabeth just did not want to be seen with "an ugly baby."

So, from the beginning, Agatha was fighting a losing battle. Worse yet, no one would know about it for a very long time.

(Four years later)

Agatha was huddled against the refrigerator, cowering away from her father. In the short for years of her life, her most prominent emotion was fear.

Agatha had been running around playing with her doll when she had bumped into a shelf, sending china plates crashing to the floor. Her father heard the noise, and when he saw what she done, he gave her a stinging slap across her face.

"See what you have done? Clean it up, you ugly little pissworm!" bellowed Theodore.

Still cowering, Agatha took the broom and dustpan and swept up the mess.

When she was done, her father shoved her away. "Go to your room. I've had enough of you."

Knowing that it was best to obey, Agatha hurried upstairs to her small bedroom. She laid down on her bed and held her doll close to her. "Why don't my parents love me, Clarabel?" she tearfully asked her doll. "I do a lot of nice things for them, and I do everything they tell me, but they still don't love me."

Indeed, Agatha could tell that her parents hated her. They barely talked to her, but when they did, they were usually screaming. They never offered her comfort. instead, they smacked her around and called her terrible names. Instead of playing with her, her parents pushed her away or ignored her.

Lately, Agatha noticed that they were pushing her away and ignoring her even more than usual. They often seemed nervous, especially her mother.

What she did not know was that her mother was pregnant with a second child, and that her parents were hoping that it would look better than her.

One day, while Agatha was sitting in the livingroom, her father marched up to her.

"Listen, you," he claimed. "Your mother is not going to be feeling well for the next several weeks. So, you are not to bother her. Also, you will need to be quiet, for noise will only upset your mother. If I hear a peep out of you, you will wish that you had never been born. Do you understand?"

Agatha nodded. She wished her father would stop calling her "you", "her", "girl", and "that child." It made her feel like she was nothing but a beast of burden to them. Usually, she had the feeling that she was.

Then her thoughts shifted to her mother. What was wrong with her? Was she horribly sick? True, Mother did seem worried, but she did not appear to be sick. Agatha wanted to do something for her, but what?

As she turned around, she looked out of the window and saw the daisies and lobelias in the flower bed. Perking up, she went outside and gathered most of the flowers into a bouquet. After tying the stems with a string, she tiptoed upstairs.

"Come in," her mother called when Agatha knocked on the door.

Opening the door, Agatha peeked into the room. Her mother was sitting, reading a book. She looked up as Agatha. "Oh, it's you," she grumbled sullenly. "What do you want?"

Stepping closer to her, Agatha murmured, "Father said that you were sick, so I picked these flowers for you." She held up the bouquet.

Elizabeth's eyes hardened. "Where did you get those flowers?"

"From the flower bed," Agatha responded.

Elizabeth instantly turned red with rage. "You impudent child! How _dare_ you take flowers from that flower bed? Those flowers are not meant to be _picked_!" she hollered.

Agatha was shocked. She had not expected this reaction. "B-but Mother, aren't they pretty? Don't you like them?"

"No, I _don't_ like them! You ruined my flowers _and_ my flower bed. If you EVER touch my plants again, you shall be whipped! Get out of my room at _once_!"

Beginning to cry, Agatha dashed out of the room and went back outside. Sitting on the bottom step, she wept bitterly. Then, in a fit of anger, she threw the bouquet in the flower bed.

She did not understand why her mother did not like the bouquet. She was only trying to please her and make her feel better.

Agatha was to learn soon that she could never please her parents, and why.

Agatha could tell that something was wrong, despite the sunny day. She had long since learned that just because a day looked beautiful, it would not be a good one. For one thing, the air felt thick like cold soup and it sent a shiver up her back.

Five weeks had passed since the bouquet episode. During that time, Elizabeth had grown increasingly weaker. Plus, she was often in pain. Until today, the pain had only been dull. Now, it was stabbing her.

"Theodore," Elizabeth whispered. "Get a doctor." She arched her back. "Please."

Theodore rushed out the house and ran down the lane to Dr. Briggs' house.

When the doctor answered the door, Theodore quickly explained the situation and they hurried back to the mansion.

Back at the house, Agatha was wondering where her father went, and why he seemed so frantic. Then it come to her. Mother may be even more sick. Maybe she was dying!

Agatha went upstairs and peeked into her mother's room.

Elizabeth was lying down in bed, groaning in pain. Agatha opened the door wider. "Mother?" she whispered.

Her mother did not hear her.

"Mother?" Agatha said louder.

"YOU!" a voice shouted behind her. Agatha pivoted to see her father and Dr. Briggs ambling down the corridor. "Didn't I tell you not to bother your mother?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, father," mumbled Agatha. She backed away.

The doctor was horrified. He could not believe that Theodore talked to her daughter like that! But before he could comment on it, Elizabeth let out a scream.

Distracted, the doctor bolted into the roo, and Theodore took to pacing in the hallway. Agatha sat down in a corner, watching him.

Forty-five minutes later, they heard a baby's cry. Agatha's and Theodore's heads jerked up in excitement.

The doctor opened the door. "You have another daughter," he announced with a smile.

Theodore walked into the room. Elizabeth looked up and grinned weakly. "She's a beautiful one," she declared.

The baby _was_ beautiful. She had Elizabeth's dark-blue eyes and her father's fine nose and sweet mouth. She also had honey-blonde hair, her father's modelled features, and was nice and plump.

Agatha stepped into the room just as Theodore said. "She is lovely. She shall inherit everything and receive everything she wants. We will name her Rebecca Anne."

Agatha frowned. She did not know what inheritance was, but she felt a pang of jealousy when she heard her say that he would give her little sister everything she wanted.

All of her life, Agatha had never gotten much from her parents, except clothes. Other than that, she mostly had to do for herself. She had to make her own toys and playthings, and they were always made of old, cheap cloths. Even her doll, Clarabel, was something she found trampled on the lane. What she wanted was pretty things, but they were not given to her.

It was because of this that Agatha felt a burning hatred towards Rebecca, which would grow as the years went by.


	3. Chapter 2: Storms with Periods of Sun

"Girl, I am going to the village to go shopping. Go to your room and do not touch anything. Do you understand me?" Elizabeth called to Agatha.

Agatha groaned. "Yes, Mother," she responded.

It was always like this. Ever since Rebecca was born, Mother was always going shopping, buying pretty and expensive clothes and toys. Rebecca's bedroom closet was already filled with frilly dresses. They were made of satin and silk, and one or two was made of sealskin. (A/N; High-quality clothing material.) Some were trimmed with ermine, Valenciennes lace, and real silver and gold. She had socks made of wool and silk stockings-both with lace on them. Her shoes were made with the finest leather and her coats and jackets with the finest satin and leather.

As for toys, Rebecca had mounds of them. She had sparkly rattles, dolls made of china, stuffed animals filled with wool, and a doll house that was a big as her cradle.

Agatha did not have beautiful clothes. Her dresses, blouses, and skirts were made of stiff and simple material. A few were even ugly. Her mother never bothered to buy her clothes often, so most of her clothes were too small for her. It was the same with her socks, stockings, and shoes.

Her parents even treated her and Rebecca differently. Where Agatha was yelled at, slapped around, and ignored, Rebecca was treated like a queen. Theodore and Elizabeth spent most of their time with Rebecca. They played with her and took her out to the village. Agatha was only allowed outside as far as the end of the front yard.

"Why?" she inquired to her parents pleadingly one day.

"Because it is a dangerous world out there," Father had replied snidely.

Agatha blinked. "But Mother takes her out a lot," she noted.

"That id because she does not let a klutz like you watch over her. Do not give me any cheek!" screamed Father.

Agatha sighed as she went over that particular memory. It often came back to her when her mother took Rebecca shopping with her.

For as long as she could remember, Agatha had never went out to the village. Her parents always insisted in keeping her near the house. No one visited often, but if they did, Agatha was always sent to her room. It was not that way with Rebecca. Mother always seemed to want to show her off.

"Oh, what a gorgeous baby!" neighbors would exclaim. Then they would ask, "Where is your other daughter?"

"She is in her room. I am afraid she is a very naughty girl, and I have to punish her often," Mother would answer.

But Agatha remember one occasion vividly. Once, when one of her mother's friends visited, Agatha had snuck downstairs. Her mother's friend-Mrs. Hiltshire-noticed her and looked at her sharply. Then she demanded, "Is that your daughter Agatha?"

Mother pivoted, then nodded.

"Hmm. She does not resemble you or Theodore," observed Miss Hiltshire.

"Yes. She looks a bit like my sister Martha," explained Mother.

Mrs. Hiltshire peered at Agatha some more. "I see. It is a pity that she does not take after you or Theodore. She is a very plain-looking child."

Mother grinned. "She is not plain. She is a very pretty child," she chuckled.

Agatha knew that her mother was lying. Every time her parents yelled at her, it was "you ugly little this," and "you ugly little that."

Deep down inside, even Agatha did not think she was beautiful. She hated her nose, and her mouth seemed like nothing but a thin, crooked slit. She also thought that she looked somewhat deflated, since her parents did not feed her enough.

She could not see why her parents treated her horribly, and why they never seemed to love her. She knew that she was somewhat clumsy and accident-prone, but she was a good child nonetheless.

And then, on Christmas she found out why.

(Singing show tune choir: Three months later!)

Agatha woke up very early on Christmas morning. She never received many presents, but she hoped that this year would be different. Maybe her parents would change their attitudes.

She ran downstairs and bolted into the living-room. It was bursting with frilly, lacy clothes and shiny new toys. Those included were sable and leopard jackets, and ermine coats. There was a Ferris Wheel playset, and a doll with a blue sealskin dress and bows.

Agatha was about to inspect them when her mother ambled into the room carrying Rebecca.

"Merry Christmas," declared Agatha.

"Merry Christmas," Elizabeth responded tonelessly. "Your gifts are over there in that corner." She pointed to the dimmest corner of the room.

When Agatha reached it, she halted in dismay.

Her presents were the most plainest and ugliest dresses and shoes she had ever seen. The shoes fit her, but her dresses were a little too big for her. The only toys that she was given was a doll in a swarthy black dress, an old game of jacks, and a tarnished tea set.

Agatha's eye brimmed with tears of sorrow and resentment. Why were her parents doing this to her? Why couldn't _she_ get wonderful gifts too? It was so unfair!

"Well? Do you like your presents?" a voice barked behind her.

Turning, Agatha noticed that her father had entered the room. "Yes, Father," she lied. "Er...may I ask a question?"

Theodore glared at her before saying, "What is it?"

"W-well, I...I wondered why Rebecca gets pretty things, and I do not," Agatha blurted out.

Both Mother and Father froze and stared at her. Agatha knew that she had asked a terrible question.

"_You ungrateful little beast!_" exploded Theodore. He smacked her, splitting her lip and sending her crashing to the floor.

Agatha glanced at her father, too surprised to cry. Why had he gotten so angry? She had only asked a simple question.

"Listen to me, girl!" bellowed Theodore. "You had better learn to take what you get from us because that is all that you will ever deserve! Ugly fellows and chits like you do not deserve anything of value because no one likes ugly people. Especially your mother and I! Now take your presents and go to your room! You are grounded until I say you are not!"

Agatha grabbed her presents and went to her bedroom. She dove onto her bed and sobbed stormily. Blood from her lip dripped onto her blanket.

So this was why her parents hated her and why she never received anything pretty. She could also see why everyone seemed to favor her sister; she looked like a princess.

That was the day Agatha began to hate herself. This self-loathed lasted for almost her entire life.

(A year and nine months later)

Agatha arose early one September morning. Today was a special day; the first day of school.

Agatha had been looking forward to beginning her education. She loved to learn new things. Plus, she was determined to show her parents that ugly people can be smart. Maybe then they would change their minds about her.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, which jerked Agatha out of her thoughts. "Get up, child. I have to get you ready for school and you cannot be late," Elizabeth yelled through the door.

For the next forty-five minutes, Elizabeth prepared Agatha for the day. She washed Agatha until she shone and clothed her. She also packed several school supplies into her satchel.

Agatha hated her appearance. Her mother chose the ugliest red and white plaid skirt to wear with her blouse. Red did not suit her, and when she pointed this out to her mother, she was told to be quiet.

"Get used to it. You will wear this and your black dress everyday for school," sneered Elizabeth.

After a breakfast of lumpy, scorched porridge, Elizabeth drove Agatha to school it the family's covered buggy.

Vanford Private School was a rather stern-looking building. It was a burnt-brown color and have sharp steel gates surrounding it. Even its schoolyard created the impression of cheerlessness.

"I am going to let you out here," stated Elizabeth, stopping in front of the gates. "Behave yourself. Listen to your teacher and follow instructions. If I get a note from your teacher saying that you are misbehaving, your father and I will flay you to within an inch of your life. Do you hear me?" she demanded.

"Yes, Mother," Agatha replied.

"Go on," ordered Elizabeth. "I will meet you right here after school."

"Bye," proclaimed Agatha, jumping out of the buggy. Her mother drove away as she stepped into the schoolyard.

Agatha surveyed the schoolyard. Kids were milling around and playing games. Agatha had never seen so many in her life. The only child she ever saw was Rebecca, who was now almost two years old. Nevertheless, Agatha was glad to know there were other children. She hoped to make friends with them. However, Agatha never had a friend, so she never learned how to make one. How did one do it? What did you do?

Eyeing the children, Agatha saw another lone girl her age. She wore a flouncy, light blue dress. Maybe she would introduce herself, then the girl would do the same and they would take to each other nicely.

With that in mind, she walked over to the girl. "Hi. I am Agatha Trunchbull. What is your name?" she questioned timidly.

The girl glanced at her. "I'm Lila Thompson," she responded in an offhand voice. She peered at Agatha's dress. "Where did you get that rag from? I thought your family was rich."

"My mother," whispered Agatha, turning crimson.

Lila let out a scream out laughter. "But I know that your parents can give you better clothes than that. I saw your sister once, and she has pretty clothes. Your parents must hate you if they give you clothes like that."

Agatha fought back tears of hurt. "My parents do not hate me," she protested, trying to lie.

"Yes, they do. I can tell by your face. But I can see why they do-you're ugly!" snorted Lila. And she strolled away, chortling.

Tears ran down Agatha's face. She did not think that things could get much worse...but they did.

Eleven minutes later, the bell rang and everyone went inside the school. At her mother's instruction, Agatha went to room 103. Her teacher, Miss Hesham, was sitting behind her desk and waiting for the other students to come. Agatha sat in the second row and did the same.

When the class was assembled. Miss Hesham stood up. She was a rather bony. Her glossy brown hair looked to gigantic for her tiny head. Her blue eyes were as wide as saucers, and her nose looked like a platform her face. Even her clothes looked baggy on her. However, she had a comrade's smile. Then, Miss Hesham began to speak, so Agatha paid attention to her.

"Welcome to your first day here at Vanford Private School. Also, welcome to your first of first grade. I am here to begin your education. But first, we will learn each other's names. I will tell you my name first. My name is Tori Hesham. Now, I want to know your names. Let's begin here, on the front row," commanded Miss Hesham.

On the far right, a girl in a ruffled pink dress and declared in a proud voice, "Susan Williams."

A boy in a black three-piece suit stood next. "Freddie Shaw."

When it was Agatha's turn, she stood and said, "Agatha Trunchbull."

There was a smattering of giggles, and a boy muttered, "That looks like a rag from a secondhand shop."

"Quiet, children. We do not make fun of people. Agatha, you may sit down, my dear."

Agatha flopped into her seat, feeling humiliated and stricken.

After everyone introduced themselves, Miss Hesham taught them the rules, the alphabet, and their numbers. She also held of flash cards with words such as "cat" and "dog" on them. Then they learned a few math problems and colored pictures.

That was when more trouble arose.

Miss Hesham had directed everyone to draw a picture of a person they knew. All went well until a boy named Robert Halton held up his drawing and proclaimed, "Look! It's Agatha Trunchbull!"

The picture showed a girl with scraggly brown hair and a deprecatory blouse and skirt. This made most of the children cackle heartily rapped on her desk.

"Quiet, please! Robert, you do not draw pictures of someone that would hurt their feelings. I shall send a note home to your parents," she stated.

Robert looked rather deflated, and everyone snickered, thinking that his predicament was comical. Miss Hesham was about to warn the children to be quiet again when the bell rang for lunch.

"Line up, children. Boys on the left, girls on the right," instructed Miss Hesham.

Everyone did as they were told, and Miss Hesham led them to an enormous cafeteria. Here, three other classes of first graders were sitting down. The second, third and fourth grades joined them as well.

The lunch was salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, peas, sliced oranges, and a carton of chocolate milk. Then it was time for recess. It was warm outside, so the students were allowed to play in the schoolyard.

Because Agatha could not find someone to talk to or play with, she sat on a bench at the edge of the yard and threw rocks into a puddle.

"Agatha?" a soft voice murmured. Pivoting, Agatha saw Miss Hesham standing next to the bench. "Yes, Miss Hesham?"

"Why are you sitting down by yourself, dear? Are you okay?" queried Miss Hesham.

Nodding, Agatha sighed. "I am fine. I just do not have anyone to play with. No one likes me. They think I am ugly."

Miss Hesham clicked her tongue. "Well, that is a shame. I do not think that you are ugly."

Agatha gaped at her. "You don't?"

"No. All children are beautiful, no matter what they look like. Do not listen to the other kids. Some of them are rude, mean, and they want to hurt other people's feelings-even people who are what you would call "ugly."

Agatha grinned. "Do you think I will ever make friends?"

"Of course, dear! There are many nice children here. Besides, you have made one friend already."

"Who?"

"Me."

Agatha grinned. "I am glad. I never had friends before."

Miss Hesham scowled. "Aren't your parents your friends?"

Not wanting to tell the truth, Agatha said yes. "I meant other friends."

"I see. You meant outside your of your family. Do not worry about it. It is only your first day of school. You will make at least one or two friends by Halloween," remarked Miss Hesham.

The bell rang and the students began to line up.

"Come on, recess is over. It is time to learn some more," Miss Hesham beamed.

Agatha smiled back and held out her hand. Miss Hesham took it and they went back to class.

The rest of the day passed quickly. The other children still teased Agatha, but she tried to ignore them. Finally, at two thirty, the bell rang and it was time to go home.

"Good-bye, children," Miss Hesham claimed.

"Good-bye, Miss Hesham," the children chroused. They stood up and left the classroom.

Agatha went outside and waited at the gate for her mother, who arrived a few minutes later.

"Get in. I hope you behaved," the latter admonished.

"Yes, Mother," Agatha stated as she climbed into the buggy.

Mother drove away from the school. As she did, she declared, "We are having company today. If you do not have homework, I will allow you to sit in the parlor with me. But first, you must change into your best dress. Do you have homework, girl?"

"No, Mother."

"Okay, then listen. You will put on your best dress as I told you to do and go down to the parlor. When my company comes, you will sit up straight and cross you legs at the ankles. Do not slouch. Speak only when you are spoken to. Do not scratch or wiggle. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mother."

(Later)

When Agatha and her mother arrived home, the former did everything that her mother told her to do. This was the first time she was allowed to be around her mother's company, and Agatha hoped to make a good impression. Of course, she did not hope to make much of one. Her best dress was a light burgundy color, which contrasted horribly with her complexion.

Elizabeth's company were the Shelberts. They lived in a mansion on the other side of Vanford and owned the most affluent clothing store in the village.

After the greetings and amenities were given, Elizabeth showed the Shelberts into her parlor.

Agatha thought that the Shelberts were grandly dressed and that they looked like royalty. They made small talk with Elizabeth, joked, and laughed.

While Elizabeth conversated with them, she introduced them to Agatha. "Richard, Elaine, this is my daughter Agatha. Agatha, this is Mr. and Mrs. Shelbert."

Agatha stood and curtsied like her mother showed her to do. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Shelbert. I am very pleased to meet you."

"What a well-mannered child! We are pleased to meet you too. How are you, my dear?"

"I am very well, thank you. How are you, Mrs. Shelbert?"

"I am fine, thank you."

Agatha turned to Mr. Shelbert. "How are you, sir?"

"I am faring good. Thank you," responded Mr. Shelbert.

Mrs. Shelbert leaned forward. "Your mother tells me that you started school today, dear. Do you like it there? Have you made any friends?"

Agatha beamed. "I like school very much, Mrs. Shelbert. I have one friend; my teacher, Miss Hesham."

"How lovely! And is Miss Hesham a good teacher?"

"Yes, Miss Shelbert."

Elizabeth smirked. "Okay, Agatha. You made sit down now," she said.

Agatha did as she was told. She listened as her mother and the Shelberts spoke for another half hour.

"Well," grunted Mr. Shelbert at the point, getting to his feet. "It is time to go. We had a wonderful time, Elizabeth. Thank you for the hospitality."

"You are very welcome, Richard. Good-bye, Elaine," Elizabeth declared.

"Good-bye, Elizabeth. Oh, and one more thing," Elaine piped up. She bent towards Elizabeth and Agatha heard her whisper, "You should give your daughter something prettier to wear. That dress does not go well with Agatha at all. It makes her look very plain. Goodness knows that you can afford to give her a beautiful dress."

Elizabeth was appalled. "You cannot tell me how to clothe my daughter. I will have her dressed in any way I feel is appropriate for her. _You_ are not bringing her up, so do not bother with her affairs," she stated tightly.

The Shelberts were flabbergasted. They could not believe that Elizabeth would say such things to her. They were the best of friends. However, they said good-bye to her one last time and let themselves out.

"Well, honestly! Elizabeth has lost her nerve. The way she dresses Agatha is scandalous. That burgundy dress looked dreadful! And yet, when we see Rebecca, she is dressed in frills that are glamorous enough for a queen! In my opinion, Rebecca is too young to be dressed like that. But, Agatha should be dressed just as elegantly," Mrs. Shelbert huffed.

However, the situation grew worse when Theodore found out about this affair.

"You had no business letting them meet her anyway! You know that that girl is ugly, Elizabeth. What were you _thinking_? Now, listen to me! That girl is to be _in her room_ when you or I have company. That is where she belongs because _no one_ wants to be in the presence of an ugly child! All of the most expensive dresses will _not_ change that girl's face, so she will receive the cheap, ugly clothing that she deserves!" he bellowed.

When poor Agatha heard her father say this, she let out a strangled gasp and cried herself to sleep.


	4. Chapter 3: A New Friend & Earning Keep

Each day after that was pretty much the same. Agatha went to school, where she often encountered teasing and taunting from Lila Thompson and her fellow classmates. If it was not for Miss Hesham, she would have dreaded going to school completely.

Agatha had a lot of good times with Miss Hesham. They ate lunch in the cafeteria and talked during recess. Furthermore, Agatha could depend on Miss Hesham to stop the other children from bothering her. They told each other secrets and respected one another.

Miss Hesham was like the parents Agatha never had, She was kind, loving, caring, and was always there to give her advice ad comfort. She never ignored Agatha or pushed her away, and she never yelled at her.

Agatha adored Miss Hesham with all of her heart, but what she wanted was a friend her age. One day, she did.

(Mid-September)

One morning, while Agatha was standing in the schoolyard waiting for school to start, a girl in a dazzlingly white dress ambled over to her.

Agatha recognized her immediately. She was a classmate of hers that she often wondered about. This girl was very beautiful and was one of the best dressed in class. However, she seemed more considerate than the other children because she never made fun of-or laughed at-Agatha.

"Hi," the girl was now greeting.

Agatha smiled shyly. "Hello," she returned. "What is your name?"

"My name is Ruby Mellows. But I already know your name. It is Agatha Trunchbull."

Nodding, Agatha grinned once more.

There was silence for a few moments before Ruby commented, "How come I never seen you playing with any kids? You're always with Miss Hesham."

Agatha sighed. "No one likes me except Miss Hesham. Almost everyone makes fun of me because they think I am ugly."

"That's mean," stated Ruby. "But I don't think you're ugly. I think you're a nice girl."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Well, I think that you are nice too. Do you think we could be friends?"

Ruby beamed. "Of course," she proclaimed. "I would love to be your friend."

And they were chums from that point onward.

(Several minutes later)

When it was time for class to commence, Agatha and Ruby asked Miss Hesham if they could sit next to each other. Miss Hesham jubliantly permitted it.

Secretly, Miss Hesham thought that it was high time Agatha had a companion. She noticed that Agatha was a very lonely child. In addition to that, she seemed to be hungry for love. Agatha told her that her parents were her friends, but Miss Hesham had a feeling that this was not true.

Meanwhile, Agatha had fun with Ruby. During art period, they chatted about how they liked school and what they thought about Miss Hesham. They talked about about the students too.

"I don't like too many of them. Most of them are proud, mean, and selfish," Ruby hissed to Agatha.

Agatha coincided with her. "Yes. I do not like them much either."

When they were at lunch, they discoursed over the food.

"The food tastes better than the food my mother cooks. Mother always burns her food. Sometimes, the food is not finished," noted Agatha.

"My mother is a very good cook. Her food tastes delicious," Ruby declared.

Agatha felt a smidgen of envy when Ruby said this, but she did not say anything about it. She did not want to hurt Ruby's feelings or make her despise her.

But the conversations began to get interesting at recess.

Ruby had enticed Agatha into playing hopscotch. The latter was taking turn when she noticed that the former was deep in thought.

"What is wrong, Ruby?" queried Agatha.

Starting, Ruby turned to her. "I was thinking about something. Agatha, do you know Lila Thompson?"

Agatha nodded mutely.

"Well, she told me some mean things about you."

"What?"

Ruby shuffled her feet. "She told me that your parents hate you because you're ugly. I told her that you are not, and that they mustn't hate you because you're nice. But I want to know..._Do_ your parents hate you?"

Agatha could not think of an honest response...she wanted _desperately_ to lie. But something in Ruby's eyes told her that it was safe to be truthful.

"Yes," muttered Agatha. "They do hate me because they think I am ugly. They love my sister, though, because she is pretty.

Ruby looked wistful. "That's plain wrong," she murmured. "But I only asked for a reason."

"Why?"

"Because my parents hate me too."

Agatha was stunned. She had not expected _that_ to be the reason. "Why would your parents hate you?"

My parents hate me because I'm not a boy. They really wanted a son, but I heard my mother tell a neighbor that she couldn't have anymore children."

"Do you parents yell at you a lot?"

"Yes, but they mostly ignore me. At least they give me nice things. Lila said that your parents dress you in ugly clothes because they hate you. That's not fair. Do you have _one_ pretty dress?"

"No. All of my clothes plain or ugly. My parents say that pretty things would not make me look better."

Ruby's eyes widen in horror, but just before she could say a word, the bell rang and the girls went inside.

(3:01 p.m.)

Agatha waited outside the steel gates for her mother, recounting the day's events. Overall, it was one of the best days of her life. She had a new friend who had a plight similar to her own, and it was good to have a chum who understood what she was going through. Ruby was a kindred spirit.

When Elizabeth picked her up, Agatha decided not to mention Ruby. Her mother might not like it, and if she told her father, Agatha knew that she would be in hot water.

"What are you looking so happy for?" demanded Elizabeth.

"Nothing. School was fun today, that's all," replied Agatha.

Elizabeth pulled her face into a sneer. "You are not in school to have fun. You are in school to learn and to make your way in the world. Speaking of which, your father wants a word with you."

Agatha's insides squirmed. The last thing she wanted was to talk to him! Nothing good ever came out of communicating with him-when she was involved anyway.

She spent the rest of the ride home in absolute dread. Agatha wished that time would move slower, but she soon found herself in front of her house.

Inside, her father was sitting in the parlor, reading _The Vanford Enquirer._ He stood up as Agatha and Elizabeth entered the house. "Sit down, girl. We need to talk," he commanded.

Agatha did as she was told while Theodore strolled around the room.

Finally, he glared at her. "It is about time you started to earn your keep. You are going to learn to cook and clean. Your mother will teach you. Your lessons will be every weekday after you finish your homework, and a few hours on Saturdays. Do you understand me?

"Yes, Father," Agatha whispered.

"Now go do your homework."

Agatha acquiesced, knowing that the days would be much longer.

(Next day, 4:30 p.m.)

Poor Agatha was exhausted. Her mother had just taught her how to dust and sweep a room. Agatha took to it, wanting to get it over with.

First, she swept the carpet with a partially wet broom. However, it was immensely dusty, and was a half an hour later before the last pile of refuse went into the bin.

Then it was time for the dusting, which was easier to do. All Agatha had to do was whisk the duster over the furniture.

Fifteen minutes later, Agatha was finished. When she turned back to inspect her work, she saw that she did made a lot of progress, but the sofas were still slightly dusty. At least they _looked_ clean.

Elizabeth marched into the parlor to check it out. She ran a finger over the drawers and tables. Then she punched the sofas several times. After that, she gazed at the floor.

"Not bad, for a beginner. Tomorrow I will teach you have to make tea and cook simple foods. Over time, you will learn to cook entire meals. Come now. Supper is ready," she sighed.

(Next day: Recess)

"Your mother is giving you lessons in cooking and cleaning? I wish I could have lessons in that," Ruby mumbled.

Agatha scowled. "Well, _I_ don't. I hate it. It is not fun at _all_," she groaned.

"But think about it," protested Ruby. "You'll be the first in our grade to learn to cook, at least. My cousin told me that most kids learn to cook in fourth, fifth, and sixth grade."

"Is that supposed to make me happy and grateful?" Agatha demanded.

Ruby nodded. "It should. You'll know how to do more than most kids your age when your, say, thirteen. When I learn to cook, I am going to run away and become a singing sensation."

Agatha chuckled, but Ruby looked hurt, so she apologized. "I was not making fun of you," she stated earnestly.

"It's okay," grinned Ruby, comforted. "I guess it was a funny thing to say. So what is to your mother going to teach you today?"

"To make tea and cook simple foods. Tomorrow I will learn to clean something else."

"Oh, so you learn to cook one day, the clean the other, and so on. Like a pattern, right?"

"Yes."

"Cool."

(Later)

"Turn the stove up halfway. The water will boil presently," instructed Elizabeth.

Agatha was learning to make tea and cook rice and corn. On her mother's orders, she had put the teapot and two pans of water on the stove. Then she turned the stove's knobs upwards to the middle.

When the water in the pans had been boiling for five minutes, Agatha added the rice and corn. Her mother left her to her own devices thenceforth.

Cooking was much more fun than cleaning. The only thing that worried Agatha was that Agatha would over or under cook the food.

Several minutes later, the teapot whistled, but she only turn off that section of the stove and continued to cook.

In thirty minutes, the food was finished and the tea was steeped. Agatha was delighted to see that the food was just right.

When her mother and father tasted the corn and rice later, they did not comment on it, but they did not react negatively to it either. However, later that night when Agatha was in her room, her mother mentioned it.

"That girl is quick to learn, whatever else can be said of her. The corn and rice was adequate. Soon she will be able to serve our guests. Oh, I am not praising her, Theodore. I am only saying what is true," Elizabeth proclaimed.

"Well, it does not matter. All that matters is that we get work out of her. The next time we have guests, make her serve tea and refreshments. When she gets older, she will cook all of the meals except lunch and clean the house for us. That girl is made to serve and work. But not Rebecca Anne. She will be taught to be the perfect heiress," Theodore claimed.


	5. Chapter 4: Rebecca's First Day of School

"Girl! Get downstairs, I have to speak to you!" hollered Elizabeth one early Saturday morning.

Agatha put down her dolls Clarabel and Victoria and bolted downstairs. She found her mother in the dining room.

"Quickly," Elizabeth growled impatiently, and Agatha walked to her quickly. "We are going to have a guest at noon. I want you to serve tea and cakes for her. Be downstairs in your best dress at twelve o' clock sharp."

Agatha felt both excited and discomfited. It was the first time that she would serve her parents' visitors. However, she wished that she could wear better clothes. The memory of the Shelberts' visit still stung, and Agatha was not willing to go through the same thing again.

At noon, Agatha stood in the kitchen, stiffly arrayed in her new reddish-orange dress. The guest was shown in by her mother and now they were sitting in the parlor.

Presently, Elizabeth called, "Agatha! Please serve our tea and cakes now. We are ready."

Carefully, Agatha picked up the gigantic tray and sauntered slowly to the parlor. As she looked up, she gasped. Her mother's guest was Miss Hesham! And how pretty she looked in her pale-blue dress! The sight of it made Agatha even more self-conscious, and her face was quite crimson as she stepped up to her mother and father.

"Oh, there you are Agatha. Miss Hesham, would you care for a cup of tea and a slice of cake?" inquired Elizabeth.

Miss Hesham smiled graciously. "Yes, please. Thank you, Mrs. Trunchbull."

Elizabeth poured tea for the both of them, then for Theodore at his request. Afterwards, Elizabeth told Agatha to stand by the parlor doors.

"So, Miss Hesham. What have you come here to talk to us about?" Elizabeth queried.

Miss Hesham put down her cup. "I came to talk about Agatha's progress in school. She is doing well in all of her subjects. She participates in all of the activities excellently. But at first, I was a bit concerned for her."

Theodore stared. "And why is that?"

"Well, she used to go off by herself and dissociate herself from the children. Just recently, however, she made friends with a girl named Ruby Mellows. She is a very wonderful girl. And speaking of that, I had something to ask you. Did Agatha ever have any friends or playmates before she entered school?"

"No. My other daughter, Rebecca, is too young and my guests ever bring their children," Elizabeth explained with an edge to her voice.

Miss Hesham nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. Maybe you can arrange for your guests to bring their children if they come to call on you. Your daughter has to develop her social skills somewhat, but they are already constructed very well. Her grammar is very good for a six-year-old child, especially when she had not attended school before."

Theodore leaned forward. "Listen, Miss Hesham. My daughter was not sent to school to have _friends_. She is there to make something of herself. She will not get good grades if she is too busy thinking about her classmates."

Miss Hesham was speechless at first. "W-why, Mr. Trunchbull! If she does not associate with anyone, how will she ever learn to communicate with someone when she is an adult?"

A vein pulsed in Theodore's temple. "Me and my wife will deal with it. _We_ are the ones who are raising her, and we know what is best for her. _Your _job is to give my daughter an education," he snarled.

Miss Hesham felt it best not to pursue the subject. "Another thing, Mr. and Mrs. Trunchbull. It was brought to my-and several of my colleagues'-attention that Agatha's attire is very distinctive from the other children's. None of the colors match her, and most of them are too big or small. They also look deplorable," she continued.

Theodore bolted up in rage. "I think it is best that you should mind your own business. We dress our daughter in the way that we think is best for her. I am afraid you will have to go. It was a pleasure to meet you," he hissed.

Miss Hesham sighed reluctantly and left. As she stepped onto the lane, she whispered to herself, "I knew that my suspicious were accurate. It is no wonder that Agatha is starved for love and affection. It is clear that her parents do not love or care for her. Well, I'll make it a point to give her some everyday. She deserves it. If she does not get any, she will end up a broken child.

So, as time passed, Agatha went to and from school and spent time with Ruby and Miss Hesham. When the school year ended and the next one began, Miss Hesham recommended Agatha and Ruby to Mrs. Avers-Peters, who was another sympathetic teacher. Miss Hesham secretly told Mrs. Avers-Peters about her visit with Mr. and Mrs. Trunchbull, and the latter treated Agatha just as kindly as Miss Hesham did. In third grade, Agatha's teacher was Miss Bennett, another friend of Miss Hesham, Her fourth grade teacher was Miss Ross.

When Agatha entered fifth grade, everything change for Agatha.

(Rebecca's first day of school)

Agatha's alarm clock gave an ear-piercing ring. A rather large hand reached out from beneath the ragged blanket and shut it off. Then, a tall, lanky girl emerged.

Ten-year-old Agatha was tall for her age. She was bigger than all of the kids in her grade, except for Ruby and a boy in school named Christopher Shuberry. Her dark brown hair was much longer, and her arms now had muscles. Also, her eyes always had a tired look in them due to the fact that she was up at 6:30am everyday to cook breakfast.

Stretching, Agatha climbed out of bed and went downstairs to cook the first meal of the day. Although the new war had caused everything to be rationed, the Trunchbulls and other wealthy families still received a good amount of everything. (A/N: World War II-It is the year 1940.)

After frying the eggs and sausages and making the porridge, Agatha rang a silver bell. Moments later, her parents ad Rebecca appeared in the dining room.

Rebecca, now six years old, was a jolly little girl. Her curly, honey-blonde hair reached the middle of her back. Her dark-blue eyes were dancing, merry, full of love, and she was just as plump as she was when she was a baby. Her cheeks were healthy and rosy, her mouth was full without pouting, and she had a certain air about her that she was made much of and spoiled. Nevertheless, she was a sweet and caring person. She was kind ad polite, even to Agatha, although her parent said she did not need to be. Her laugh was like music, and she often made others laugh with her. She was seldom unhappy, except when her parents' chastisement of Agatha became too much for her. While she never did anything chore-wise, she was never bored. She almost always visited with her parents' friends and neighbors, especially if they had children. She learned how to pour tea, and soon she would have piano lessons and learn how to throw parties to entertain guests. She was giving any toy or article of clothing that she want and could do whatever she pleased. She was the apple of her parents' eyes.

Rebecca already knew that she was treated differently than her sister. She could laze around all day if she desired, but Agatha had to do every household chore and run errands. After four long years, Agatha's appearance took on the look of a thin, gloomy, defeated drudge. Meanwhile, Rebecca looked like a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Sara Crewe from _A Little Princess_. (A/N: Read it if you haven't already. It's a good book.)

It was a joyful breakfast. Rebecca chattered on endlessly about how eager she was to begin school. Theodore and Elizabeth chuckled at her excitement, but Agatha ate her meal in a weary silence.

"Remember to listen to your teacher and pay attention to your lessons," Elizabeth stated.

"And do not fight or cause trouble with the other children. Make sure that the friends you make are as kind and beautiful as you," added Theodore.

"Most of all, remember to keep yourself neat and clean. Appearances are _very_ important."

"And do not forget to have fun."

Rebecca nodded. "Yes, Mother ad Father."

When breakfast was over, Agatha washed the dishes. She had leared to wash the dishes very rapidly and efficiently in the mornings. If she had not, she would have to walk to school, and then she would be late.

In ten minutes, the dishes were clean and the dining room table was wiped down. Then she grabbed her school satchel in preparation for leaving.

On the way downstairs, her mother stopped her. "I want a word with you, girl. In the kitchen. Now," commanded Elizabeth.

Agatha followed her to the desired room. When they reached it, Elizabeth faced her. "Listen," muttered the latter. "When you are at school, keep an eye on Rebecca and keep her safe. If anything happens to her, it will be your ass. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mother," replied Agatha.

"Good," growled Elizabeth. "Now, get in the carriage. I want Rebecca Anne to be early."

Agatha did as she was told. After Elizabeth lifted Rebecca onto the seat beside her, she drove off.

Minutes later, they reached the school. "Okay, Rebecca. Have a good day at school. Behave and have fun. Oh, and Agatha, make sure to take her to her classroom. It is room 101, Mrs. Wilkes class," noted Elizabeth.

Agatha nodded and helped Rebecca out of the carriage. Then they walked through the school's steel gates as their mother drove away.

The students were milling around the yard, just as they had been when Agatha first started at Vanford. However, the crowd grew quiet as Agatha and Rebecca walked through it.

It was obvious that Rebecca was the best dressed girl at Vanford. Her best yellow dress was very ruffled. She wore a white straw hat with a yellow ribbon that trailed down her back to protect her complexion. She also wore white silk stockings and white patent leather shoes. Agatha felt embarrassed standing beside her and wanted to dispose of her as soon as possible.

"Hey, ragbag! Who is that?" a voice yelled.

Agatha pivoted and beheld Lila Thompson, who was standing a few feet behind her.

"She is my sister," Agatha responded tersely.

Lila snorted. "I thought so, even though I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't known that she was prettier than you."

Flushing, Agatha turned away and grabbed her sister's hand. She knew that almost everyone would agree with what Lila said and in this lay the sting. She could hear a few people snickering right now.

"Hi Agatha!" called Ruby, who was sitting on the school steps.

"Hello, Ruby!" Agatha shouted back, relieved to see a friendly face.

Ruby glanced at Rebecca. "Is that your little sister?"

Agatha inclined her head.

"Wow, she adorable. Hello," Ruby said to Rebecca. "What's your name?"

"Hello. My name is Rebecca. I know your name. I heard Agatha say it. It is Ruby," murmured Rebecca.

Ruby smiled. "Well, I'm pleased to meet you."

"I am pleased to meet you too."

Ruby turned to Agatha. "Are you ready to start a new school year?"

Agatha shrugged. "I guess so."

"Well, at least we have another nice teacher-Mrs. Sterling," Ruby pointed out.

"Agatha! There is my friend Samantha. May I play with her?" Rebecca piped up.

"Yes, but bring her over here. I have to take care of you," Agatha declared.

Rebecca nodded and did as she was told.

(Fifteen Minutes Later)

Agatha showed Rebecca to her classroom and ran to the third floor, where they fifth grade classes were held. Next year, she would be moved to the A section of the Annex building for secondary school-grades sixth to eighth. Then she would go to Section B for high school.

Mrs. Sterling proved to be a terrific instructor. She made everything interesting and treated everyone with respect and comradeship.

Outside of the room, Rebecca had caused quite a sensation. Many of the children were gossiping about her.

"She is dressed as if she was the daughter of an earl or a fairy princess."

"Did you see her dress? It's as bright as sunshine. _And_ it had Valenciennes lace on it!"

"Her silk stockings must be comfortable. I wish I had a pair."

"I can't believe that Agatha is her sister. Agatha is uglier and skinnier. Her clothes look like they came from the orphanage. But Rebecca's clothes must have come from Nalesburg. You know, the most expensive store in England.

Indeed, a lot of things were being said; either in awe, admiration, or envy.

The primary school teachers noticed Rebecca too, and they had a conversation about her after the students were dismissed for the day.

"That Trunchbull child is a sight, I must say!"

"By the way she was dressed, you would think she was going to visit the queen. It's absolutely ridiculous! Her parents are going too far."

"Too right, you are, considering the way they clothe Agatha. None of _her_ clothes are pretty. None of them fit, and half of them are practically in rags. My, but do I pity her."

"Well, at least they both have good manners. That is what surprises me. Most children who are wealthy, spoiled, and dressed to within an inch of their lives are proud, selfish, and rude. Not to mention mean and ill-tempered. Also, they never seem to be satisfied. And children who are mistreated end up as bullies. Agatha and Rebecca Trunchbull are model pupils though."

"Rather. I came to visit once a few months ago. Agatha was practically treated like a peasant! The entire time i was there, she was cooking and cleaning!"

"They talk to her like a servant also. Goodness knows why."

"Lila Thompson says it is because her parents think she is ugly, and they hate her for it."

"How horrid!"

(After school)

Elizabeth was already at the school when Agatha and Rebecca reached the steel gates.

"Hi Rebecca, dear. How was school?" questioned Elizabeth as they pulled away from the yard.

"It was wonderful, Mother. My teacher was nice. I made a lot of friends too," Rebecca replied.

Beaming, Elizabeth crooned. "That is lovely, my dear. Do you have homework?"

Rebecca said no. Elizabeth turned to Agatha. "After you are finished you homework, if you have any at all, I want you to cook pot roast and greens for supper. Then I want you to dust the vases and polish the sliver. When that is done, sweep and mop the kitchen floor. For dessert, we will have ice cream, doughnuts, and lemonade," the former claimed.

Sighing a little, Agatha nodded. It was going to be another exhausting day.


	6. Chapter 5: The City Girl Takes Charge

Agatha was cleaning the dining room one Saturday afternoon when she heard her parents talking in the parlor. Something in their conversation interested her mildly, so she paused to listen to it.

"...She is a wealthy girl from London. The bombing is terrible there, and you know they want children to move to the country for safekeeping. They wanted to give us a poor child, but I said no, flat to that," Elizabeth proclaimed.

"What is her name?" queried Theodore.

"Theresa Hilton. She is the same age as Agatha."

"Where will she sleep? She is too old to share a room with Rebecca, and Agatha's room is too small."

"Well, we have four spare rooms. Put her in the one next to our room."

"Yes. That will be fine."

Eyes widening, Agatha continued to scrub the wall.

"So, when is she coming?" Theodore inquired.

"Next Saturday. She will be coming by train at two thirty. Which reminds me..." Elizabeth said, her voice trailing off.

Suddenly, she appeared in the dining room doorway. "Agatha, I need you to do something for me. A girl named Theresa Hilton is coming to live with us, and we want to give her a warm welcome. So, this is what I want you to do. I want you to dust and sweep this room, the parlor, the spare room next to my room, and your room, and Rebecca's room. The kitchen is to be scrubbed down and mopped. Polish the silver and sweep and dust the stairway as well. On Saturday morning, I want you to bake chicken and ham, cook three kinds of vegetables, make mashed and baked potatoes, and boil some rice. Also, I want you to make a large pan of Shepherd's pie and beef stew."

Agatha nearly fainted on the spot. All of that work she would have to do! It was really unnecessary, since she had just finished cleaning every room downstairs already. And now she had to do it all over again! However, if Agatha pointed this out, her mother would be outraged. Agatha remembered the last time it happened vividly.

It was one evening when she was eight. Agatha was straightening up her room when her mother told her to dust the parlor. The McBortens-an upstanding family-were to visit. Agatha was indignant.

"But Mother, I already did," she protested.

Elizabeth scowled ferociously and slapped her. "Clean it again, and do _not_ sass me."

Agatha's face was numb for an hour. Not wanting this to happen again, she only bobbed her head. Secretly, though, she started to despise Theresa Hilton before she had even met her.

(The next morning)

When Agatha arrived at school the next day, she was still very irate. Ruby noticed this and questioned her about it.

"A girl from London is going to live in my house because of the war. I have to clean every room downstairs and four rooms upstairs. Then I have to cook chicken, ham, beef stew, Shepherd's pie, mashed and baked potatoes, rice, and three kinds of vegetables!" responded Agatha.

"You poor thing! All of that work! Boy, will you be tired out," Ruby exclaimed.

"I know, especially since I have to do all of the cooking on Saturday."

Ruby shook her head. "Your mother has no business making you work as hard as you do. If I didn't know better, I would say that you are nothing but a slave."

This statement struck Agatha like a bolt of lightening. However, it could not be denied that Ruby was right.

"Do your parents ever let you rest?" queried Ruby.

"No. They would rather tire me out."

"What about Rebecca? Do they give her chores?"

"Heck no. Mother and Father do not make her do anything. They are teaching her to be a 'perfect heiress.' Not me. I have to work. When I was young, they said that I was to work and serve others."

"What? But why?"

"I am not going to answer that. You know why already."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "That is just ridiculous. You are _not_ ugly. Just because you are normal-looking doesn't mean that you should serve anyone."

"I know," sighed Agatha. "I am just glad that I am physically strong enough to do everything they tell me. I have no choice except to obey my parents, so I will have to work and bear it."

But her burdens proved harder to bear than she thought it the days that followed. When Agatha was not in school, she was working.

On Monday, Agatha cleaned up the four bedrooms and the bathroom. On Tuesday, she dusted, swept, and scoured the stairway and the rooms downstairs. On Wednesday and Thursday, she touched up all of the rooms she had cleaned, and mopped the kitchen and bathroom floors until they shone.

Friday evening, after she had washed the dishes, Agatha proceeded to cook the next day's feast. Since she had enough room in the oven for two large meats, she decided to bake the chicken and ham. In addition to that, she would mash some potatoes and boil the rice. That way, only the baked potatoes, vegetables, beef stew, and Shepherd's pie had to be made.

It was near midnight before everything was ready. Tomorrow, she would warm the food up before Theresa Hilton arrived.

The next morning at six thirty, Agatha made everybody their breakfast. Because she wanted to get the food ready before two thirty, she chose to wait until the food was heading up to eat hers.

First, she prepared the beef stew and Shepherd's pie. Then she boiled carrots, spinach, and corn. After that, she stuck five baked potatoes in the oven every hour for three hours.

The food was finished by 11:45am. She put everything into two larger warming stoves. (A/N: The kitchen has three stoves.) The chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, and beef stew were heated up in one stove, the rest of the food in the other. During this time, Agatha took the opportunity to eat her breakfast and wash the morning dishes. By two o'clock, the food was happily simmering.

"Girl! We are going to the train station. Have dinner on the table before we get back!" Elizabeth called to Agatha at that time.

"Yes, Mother!" Agatha yelled back.

(Forty minutes later)

Agatha had just placed the last dish of food on the table when the front door opened. She went to the parlor.

"Welcome to our home, Theresa. I hope that you enjoy your stay," Elizabeth was saying.

"Thank you," a snobbish, proud voice replied.

_Oh no_, Agatha said to herself as soon as she heard it. She knew that Theresa would be difficult to get along with.

Her parents, Rebecca, and Theresa stepped into the room, jarring Agatha out of her thoughts.

"Theresa, this is my other daughter, Agatha. Agatha, this is Theresa. She will stay with us until it is safe for her to go back home," claimed Elizabeth.

The girls shook hands, reluctantly on Agatha's part. After that, everyone went to the dining room. "I daresay that you are hungry after your journey," Elizabeth chuckled.

"Yes, Mrs. Trunchbull. Oh my!" Theresa gasped when she saw all of the food that was on the table.

While everyone helped themselves to something, Elizabeth asked Theresa to tell them about herself.

Theresa set down her plate. "I was born in London ten years ago. My father was a judge before he became a soldier, and my mother worked in a jewelry store. I went to Kensington's Private School for Girls. I am in fifth grade.

"The reason why my mother sent me here is because our house was broken into and some people took our food. Mother tried to get some money out of our bank, but the banks closed down because of the bombing. Mother did not want me to starve, so she decided to send me to a wealthy family in the country..."

As Theresa continued to tell her story, Agatha observed her closely.

Theresa had sharp hazel eyes, a slightly pointed nose, and a pruned mouth. Her dark hair was glossy and straight and she had very nice ears. She was as tall as Agatha, but a bit thinner; she had the look of a person who received bundles of attention.

The dress that she was wearing was made of the same materials as Rebecca's, and so were her other clothes. Agatha soon found that out.

"Mmm. This Shepherd's pie is delicious. Who made it?" Theresa inquired.

"Agatha did, my dear," asserted Elizabeth. "She volunteered to do it."

Theresa turned to Agatha. "This is very good, Agatha. It was sweet of you to think of doing it for me," she commented jovially.

"Thank you," Agatha murmured.

Shaking her head, Theresa said, "No, I must thank you."

"You are welcome," smiled Agatha.

Elizabeth leaned forward. "If there is anything you want or need, just tell Agatha and she will get it or do it for you."

_What?_ Agatha thought enragedly as Theresa inclined her head with a malicious twinkle in her eyes. _Now I'm really going to be treated like a drudge!_

(Monday)

Theresa caused a great sensation at Vanford Private School. It was not often that a new person came to the village, so this was a huge event.

"Did you see the new girl?" one girl whispered.

"Yes. She's living with the Trunchbulls because of the war," said another.

"She is very pretty. Look at her dress! It's looks like the kind that Rebecca Trunchbull wears."

"Well, I don't like her. Both she and Agatha are in my class, and I believe that Theresa Hilton is the most stuck-up girl in the school. Rebecca looks just as pretty as she does and _she's_ not conceited or proud. My, but I can't wait until she goes back to wear she came from!"

Mrs. Sterling did not have much use for her. She agreed that she did pretty well in her lessons, but it was also noted that she put on horrible airs. The only thing she talked about was her looks and what she had in the most proudest voice imaginable.

No one suffered more than Agatha, who sat next to her. For the entire day, Agatha received bursting earfuls of irksome whispered conversations.

"The school looks great on the inside. But when I first saw the outside of it, I thought that it looked mournful. I would rather it was painted light blue or a rich wine red, instead of black and brown."

"Say, Agatha. I like Mrs. Sterling, but she looks like a spinster dressed in those old clothes."

"Agatha, when I come to school tomorrow, should I wear my green dress with the flowers, or the lavender one?"

"I ought to wear my pearl necklace and diamond ring tomorrow. They are both made with the real materials."

Honestly, Agatha did not know when Theresa would be quiet. She hated that she was stuck sitting next to her. Mrs. Sterling did this so that they could keep an eye on each other, since they lived together. Agatha thought that she might change her mind about this if she complained, but she was not a tattletale.

(Supper)

"So, Theresa, how do you like your new school?" asked Theodore.

Theresa reflected on that for a moment. "It's a very nice place, Mr. Trunchbull, but I do not like the way it's painted much," she responded finally.

"Oh, I see," Theodore nodded.

Elizabeth leaned forward. "Did the teacher instruct and order well?"

"Yes, Mrs. Trunchbull."

"Did you understand your lessons?"

"Yes, Mrs. Trunchbull."

"That's good."

"Yes. Agatha, pass the peas and butter."

Agatha jumped slightly in surprise at this command. It was not given kindly, but snidely and condescendingly. However, she knew that if she did not obey, her parents would be furious and chastise her. So, she did what she was told.

She knew that that order would be the first of many.

(Over the next month)

Within a few days of Theresa's visit, Agatha was completely controlled by the former.

Theresa loved nothing more than to do this. Personally, she did not like Agatha, although she was a part of the most wealthiest family in Vanford. She saw her as Agatha's parents and most of her classmates did; an "ugly" child who was dressed as a shabby drudge. Someone to be hated because she was not considered beautiful.

Agatha felt terribly upset over this change. She understood that she had to listen to her parents. They could tell her what to do and there was nothing she could do _but_ listen.

Being forced to a mere child who was her age was a different matter. If this kept up, children who were _younger_ than her would be able to boss her around. And there would not be anything she could do about it.

Agatha was expected to acknowledge Theresa's wishes at school too, something that Mrs. Sterling was quick to notice. The kind, concerned teacher wrote a note to Theodore and Elizabeth about it, but she was promptly told to mind her own business.

Mrs. Sterling was indignant over their reply, but she aimed to help Agatha in spite of it. The day after she received Theodore's and Elizabeth's response, she separated Agatha and Theresa. One girl sat at one end of the classroom, the other sat on the opposite side.

At recess, Theresa was able to lord over Agatha without being caught. Since she (Theresa) had many friends and admirers, she often made Agatha carry her satchel while she pranced around the schoolyard to chat with them.

Other students noticed this, and many began to follow her example; making plain-looking children their personal "servants." Theresa became famous because of this. Many girls in the third, fourth, and fifth grades came to her for advice. They also asked for her opinions on style, fashion, and etiquette. They all believed that she was quite sound in her rather prideful speeches, and fell over themselves in attempts to measure up in her eyes. This is why began to allow Theresa to "lord over" them.

So, before a month had passed during Theresa's enrollment, she had control and influence over most of the girls who were eight, nine, and ten. Soon, Theresa had many of the first and second grade girls in her power be her friend was the greatest honor in the world. If you were not, you were simply considered as nonexistent. She was a queen to all who served her, and even those who were envious of her wanted to be under her rule.

The only people who opposed against Theresa was Agatha, Rebecca, and Ruby. Agatha did because she was making her an even bigger laughingstock than she was before. Also, she hated being called "Theresa Hilton's maid." Rebecca disliked her because she was mistreating Agatha. Ruby loathed her for the same reason Rebecca did, and also because she thought that Theresa was a "stuck-up, busybody gossip" who did not know anything about true values.

When Theodore and Elizabeth and Theodore found out what Theresa was doing, they merely shrugged and said that she was making a place for herself in society.

"What about Agatha? My Leonora told me that she is practically Theresa's servant," protested Mrs. Everston, one of the Trunchbulls' neighbors.

"No. Agatha has volunteered to make Theresa's visit a happy one by helping her," Elizabeth lied comfortably.

Mrs. Everston sighed. "Well, Leonora tells me that Agatha does not look happy when she is around Theresa. In fact, Leonora says that she hardly ever looks happy, except when she is with her friend Ruby Mellows. Even then, Leonora tells me that she does not laugh or smile much. She says Agatha mostly looks sad, upset, or tired. Is she okay? Is she having problems with anything?"

Elizabeth said no. "She is fine. It is probably the schoolwork taking its toll on her. She is often worried that she will fail, but she is a smart girl. She will pull through splendidly, but I am afraid that she is pushing herself too hard."

"Oh. I understand," stated Mrs. Everston.


	7. Chapter 6: Theresa's Birthday

It was May, nearly a year since Theresa had arrived at the Trunchbulls'. Nothing much had happened in the past several months. Agatha still worked as a servant for her family and Theresa, and Theresa was still popular at school.

The only new occurrence was that Rebecca now had piano lessons every Wednesday after school. Agatha was jealous; she wanted to learn how to play music as well. She did not tell her parents so, for they would not agree to give her lessons at all.

Now, another event was about to come: Theresa's birthday. Except for Agatha, Rebecca, and Ruby, many were looking forward to it. Mainly, it was Theresa, her friends, and Agatha's parents.

Thirty children were to attend, excluding Ruby. Theresa scornfully shunned her, despite her high social standing and beauty, because she was Agatha's friend. Ruby did not care; she did not like Theresa, and she did not want to go to the party either. Theresa's mother was also expected, since she had not seen her daughter since she had sent her to Vanford.

Elizabeth talked over what decorations there would be, what foods should be served, and where the party would take place. Once everyone was assembled and planned, they ordered Agatha to do the work.

Agatha spent countless hours hanging up balloons, streamers, and papered lamps. Because the guests would be eating outside, Agatha had to set up a long table on the front lawn.

On the day before the party, Agatha practically lived in the kitchen. She had to make two larges pots of soup, three bowls of salad, and two large baked chickens. Also, she had to boil two pots of potatoes, a pot a gravy, and vegetables. On top of everything else, she had to bake a vanilla cake half a foot long, and make five pitchers of lemonade. At least her parents were going to buy the cookies, doughnuts, and ice cream.

It was eight o'clock in the evening when everything was finished.

(Next afternoon-1:00pm)

Theresa was sitting in the parlor with Agatha's parents and Rebecca, bubbling with excitement. Her guests were to arrive any minute now, and she could not wait for the fun to begin.

The answer to her wish came immediately. The doorbell rang, and one by one the children ambled into the room. When all of the guests were there, everyone went outside.

After dinner (A/N: Lunch) was served, the children were allowed to play. Elizabeth and Theodore would not let Agatha partake in the activities. It did not matter much, since Agatha neither liked nor cared for any of the children, least of all Theresa. Besides, they only thing they would do was tease and humiliate her.

Indeed, they had plenty of time to do so, for Theresa ordered Agatha about just for laughs. The latter was glad when her parents told her to bring out the cake at three thirty.

Just as Agatha was climbing up the steps into the house, she heard Theresa shout, "Mother!"

Turning, Agatha saw a woman with a swirling white dress and lacy white parasol strolling into the front yard.

Her face was very striking, especially her light, liquid blue eyes, which seemed to see everything in their own light. She also had auburn hair, which framed her face beautifully, dainty feet and hands, and was tall.

Mrs. Hilton chuckled as Theresa jumped into her arms. They embraced for a moment before letting each other go.

"Oh Mother, I am so happy to see you! I have missed you so much!" breathed Theresa.

"I missed you too. Did you get get my present?" Mrs. Hilton inquired.

Theresa nodded excitedly. "I cannot wait to open it. Oh! This is Mr. and Mrs. Trunchbull," she piped up, introducing her mother to Agatha's parents.

Mrs. Hilton shook Theodore and Elizabeth's hands. "It is a pleasure to meet you," they said to each other.

Agatha went inside and carried the cake outside, lest her parents wondered why she was taking so long.

The children gasped as Agatha placed a cake with eleven lit candles on the table in front of them. It was the most beautiful cake they had ever saw. It had curls, swirls, and pink rosebuds on the edges that were strung together by iced green stems. In the middle, written in gold icing was the words: _Happy 11th Birthday, Theresa!_

When everyone was assembled, they sang a rousing song of "Happy Birthday." After that, everybody received cake, ice cream, cookies, doughnuts, and lemonade. Then it was time to open presents.

Among other things, Theresa received a stationary, a glass doll from Theodore and Elizabeth, and a new pink dress from mother. It was trimmed with lace and black braiding, and came with a hat, which also had lace on it. Afterwards, the children played for another hour and then it was time for them to go home.

"Well now, Mrs. Hilton, you must sit in the parlor and have a cup of tea," Elizabeth stated graciously.

Mrs. Hilton smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Trunchbull. I would like that."

Once Agatha had served everyone, Mrs. Hilton spoke again.

"You have a wonderful home, Mrs. Trunchbull. I can see why Theresa speaks so highly of this place. I am grateful to you for taking care of her and making her feel as if she were one of your own. She also mentions your daughter Agatha in her letters. I understand that she is helping her get along in school. She must be, for she has a lot of friends, so I noticed," she remarked.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. Agatha never thinks of herself very much. She would rather help others."

Theodore agreed. "The only thing she worries about is school, which Elizabeth and I encourage," he added.

"That is good. Where is your daughter Agatha?" queried Mrs. Hilton.

"Right here," Elizabeth responded, pointing to Agatha.

Mrs. Hilton turned to Agatha, then froze. "_She_ is Agatha? But...but...I thought she was your maid," she said when she could find her voice.

Agatha's eyes widened in disbelief. To think that Mrs. Hilton could not tell that she was Theodore and Elizabeth's daughter! Then again, how could she? Agatha was not dressed grandly like her family or the Hiltons. It would be easy to assume that she was a servant. Even so, Agatha felt more than faint dislike for Mrs. Hilton.

"Well...thank you for helping my daughter out at school. I really appreciate it," Mrs. Hilton declared awkwardly.

Agatha only bobbed her head sullenly.

Theresa leaned forward. "When are you going home?"

"In a few hours. I have to get back home by tomorrow if I want to keep my job," replied Mrs. Hilton.

"Oh! You have a job? What do you do?" Mrs. Trunchbull questioned brightly.

"I work in a factory oiling and repairing machinery. It's a good line of work, and they pay well."

"That's wonderful."

Everybody except Agatha chatted until nine thirty, when the children had to go to bed. Before going upstairs, Theresa gave her mother a tearful good-bye.

"When will I see you again?" the former sobbed quietly.

"Soon," Mrs. Hilton responded, embracing her tightly. "I will let you know."

Theresa nodded and climbed up the stairs after a final wave.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Hilton held a private conversation with Theodore and Elizabeth.

"Mrs. Trunchbull, why is Agatha dressed as if she were a servant? Her clothes look absolutely deplorable. Are you sure she's not a foundling?" she whispered.

Dead silence. For once, Theodore and Elizabeth could not think of anything to say. They had never confessed that they did not love or care for Agatha. However, they had a vague suspicion that people know that they did not. But they did not care. In their opinion, they did not believe that an "ugly" person could be loved, so what was the use in pretending to do so?

Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Agatha had an argument with a girl in school and tore her-the girl's-dress on purpose. So, as a punishment, we made her wear a plain dress," she lied, making up an excuse. She was running out of them.

Mrs. Hilton frowned. "But Theresa tells me that she wears clothes like that all of the time. She also says that Rebecca's clothes are all pretty. Plus, she told me that Agatha does all of the cooking and cleaning.

"Agatha likes to do housework. She offered to do it herself. We tell her not to work so much, but we cannot stop her. She practically eats the work!" chuckled Theodore. "And she said to give her plain clothes so because she would not have to worry about getting them messy."

"Oh...I see. Well, it must have been just a misunderstanding," said Mrs. Hilton.

As always, Agatha heard them, and she was furious that her parents lied about why she worked so much and why she wore ugly, plain clothes. Next, they would probably tell people that she wanted to be a housekeeper.

The next thing she heard however, boosted her spirits a notch.

"Maybe you should give Agatha at least one or two pretty dresses. They could be worn for formal occasions. You should also let her play with other children and have fun too. She is still a child after all," Mrs. Hilton pointed out.

The Trunchbulls nodded. "I think you are right," agreed Elizabeth. Besides, she was tired of hearing people telling her that Agatha was poorly dressed, and that she did too many household chores. Maybe everyone would be quiet now.


	8. Chapter 7: Still Unaccepted

Agatha climbed into the wagon, getting ready to go to Nalesburg (the clothing store.) There were two; the main store that was in London, and the branch in Vanford. At any rate, Agatha was rather excited to be going. She never went to the village, and she wondered what it would be like.

It all started earlier that morning when her mother pulled her aside while she was making breakfast.

"The both of us are going to Nalesburg's today. We will leave at half-past nine. Eat quickly." Elizabeth had said.

Agatha did not have to be told twice. Normally, she could barely lift her spoon to her mouth, but today was different.

Once breakfast was finished and the dishes washed, Agatha and Elizabeth climbed into the carriage and drove to the village.

Vanford was a very happening place. People went in and out of stores, malls, and shops. There were theaters, salons, fancy restaurants, houses, parks, playgrounds, and a library.

Agatha tried to get a look at everything, but she would need ten more eyes to do that.

At the center of the village, across the street from Nalesburg, Elizabeth parked the carriage in a crowded lot. Then they went into the store.

"Okay, I'm going to let you have four dresses. Two for school, one for when we have company, and another for parties. Every year you will receive four new dresses. Do you understand?" Elizabeth inquired tonelessly.

"Yes, Mother," Agatha responded.

Elizabeth sighed. "All right. You will find out what size fits you, then I'll let you pick the dresses you want."

Agatha nodded.

For the next hour and a half, Agatha was measured by a few dressmakers, and then she was able to choose the dresses she wanted.

For school, Agatha picked out to navy-blue silk dresses with frills and lace that were very ruffled. Her company dress was lavender, and the dress that she would wear to parties was a rich, darker purple. Both dresses were also frilly, lacy, and ruffled.

Then, her mother bought her four pairs of silk stockings with lace. Also, she purchased a pair of black patent leather shoes, and a pair of white patent leather shoes.

After they finished shopping, Agatha and Elizabeth went home.

Agatha wanted to look over her new clothes, but she had to make dinner for everyone.

Groaning inwardly, she put her dresses, shoes, and stockings away before trudging back downstairs. She was tired of being the only one doing all of the cooking. True, her mother was a terrible cook, but it would be nice if someone else could prepare the meals sometimes.

(Monday morning)

Agatha woke up before dawn to get ready for school.

First, she scrubbed herself until her skin gleamed. Then she carefully starched one of her navy blue dresses. After that, she shined her black patent leather shoes until she could see her face in them. Then she curled her hair, got dressed-admiring how light and airy her silk stockings felt-and went downstairs to prepare breakfast.

When her parents, Rebecca, and Theresa stepped into the dining room a half an hour later, Agatha waited on tenterhooks for their reactions. However, she did not get the one that she expected.

Theodore and Elizabeth looked at her as if nothing changed. Rebecca paid no attention to her at all (being secretly forewarned not to say anything) and Theresa whispered, "I can still see your ugly face through the curls. You don't look any prettier with those clothes on."

Agatha felt hurt and angry. She wanted nothing more than to punch Theresa in the face, but she would get in trouble if she did. So she stewed in furious silence.

(Later)

Agatha, Rebecca, and Theresa stepped into the schoolyard as Elizabeth drove onto the lane. Those nearest to them gazed in wonder at Agatha, thinking that she was a new student. After they realized who she was, however, they either rolled their eyes or laughed.

"Hi Agatha!" Ruby shouted from across the yard.

Agatha grinned and waved. She began to walk over to her when Lila Thompson and a group of her friends surrounded her.

Lila stepped in front of her. "My, my. If it isn't Agatha Trunchbull wearing a blue silk dress. I almost didn't recognize her," she sneered.

Her cronies snickered.

"But," continued Lila. "It was easy to tell who she was once I saw that crooked nose poking out of her hair."

Her comrades laughed even harder.

Agatha's hands clenched in fury. She had tried so hard to make herself like everybody else, but everyone still thought that she was ugly.

In front of her, Lila was smirking. "Oh, I think she's going to cry," she crooned to her friends. She turned back to Agatha. "Are you going to cry, Agatha?" she queried in a mockingly sweet voice.

"No," Agatha replied quietly through clenched teeth. "But if you do not get out of my face, I will kick your ass."

"Ooooh!" the group of girls chortled. Lila gazed at them.

"Ha! She thinks that she can fight. This girl probably doesn't even know how to slap someone properly," she declared. Then she turned back to Agatha, stared at her for a moment, and pushed her head back.

Agatha drew back a fist and punched Lila in the mouth. Blood oozed onto the latter's chin as she fell onto the ground.

Scowling ferociously, Lila scrambled back up and tackled Agatha, punching her in the stomach. Agatha retaliated by slamming her fist into Lila's cheek. Lila tackled her again, this time knocking both of them to the ground.

A crowd gathered around Agatha and Lila as they grappled on. They kicked, scratched, punched, and tackled each other until a few teachers parted the cheering rabble and separated the two.

"Stop it this instant!" a teacher named Miss Krafton firmly commanded. "You two should be ashamed of yourselves for brawling like this at school. I'm going to send you to the Headmaster's office immediately."

She and another teacher named Mrs. Cambridge pulled the girls to Principal Arlton's office. They knocked on the door and entered the room when bidden to do so.

There, sitting behind a neat desk, was Principal Arlton. He was a rather stern-looking man, with black hair that always looked moist, and greenish-gray eyes behind strongly medicated spectacles. He had a snub nose and a hard line of a mouth. He was wearing a blue-collared Oxford shirt with a navy-blue tie and khaki pants. He looked up as they came in. "Ah! Good morning Miss Krafton, Mrs. Cambridge. What seems to be the trouble?"

The teachers thrust Agatha and Lila in front of them. "These two were fighting in the schoolyard like a couple of hooligans!" Mrs. Cambridge proclaimed.

Principal Arlton frowned. "What?" he demanded incredulously. "They were fighting?"

The two teachers nodded.

Principal Arlton sighed with exasperation and shook his head. "This is completely unbelievable," he groaned. He stood up and placed a couple of chairs in front of his desk. "Sit," he instructed the girls.

Agatha and Lila did as they were told.

"Now," grunted Principal Arlton as he sat down again. "Who started the fight?"

Lila looked up. "I did, sir. I pushed her head."

"Why?" questioned Principal Arlton.

Lila squirmed and grew silent.

Principal Arlton eyed Agatha. "What's your story?"

"It is true, sir. She was teasing me about the way I looked. I told her to leave me alone. but she did not and she pushed my head back," Agatha explained.

Nodding, Principal Arlton said, "I see. Still, fighting in this school is not tolerated, and it is completely unacceptable. I will send a note home to your parents, and you will both have lunch detention. If either of you cause any more trouble, I'm afraid I'll have to suspend you."

Agatha stared at Principal Arlton in absolute dread. She had never gotten in trouble at school before. She knew that her parents were going to be enraged once they read the principal's letter.

"Here are your late passes." Principal Arlton announced, jarring Agatha out of her thoughts. The former handed both of the girls a slip of paper, and they stood up and left the office.

For the entire day, Agatha could not concentrate on school, awaiting her impending doom. Her parents were really going to punish her this time! And she had been looking forward to a wonderful day. Well, it looked as if it was not going to be today.

Lunch detention did not make matters much better. Agatha had to sit in a tiny room with Lila and eat her lunch hurriedly. Then she had to copy the entire B section of the dictionary. The whole time, Lila grinned at her tauntingly and threw bits of crayon at her went the teacher was not looking. If it were not for the fact that she was already in trouble, Agatha would have thrown a chair at her.

(After school)

Agatha, Rebecca, and Theresa waited outside of the schoolyard for Mrs. Trunchbull. Agatha was not looking forward to going home. She wished she could stay at the school.

Minutes later, Elizabeth stopped in front of them. Agatha could tell that she received the letter because her eyes were bulging in rage.

"You!" she growled as the girls walked out of the carriage. "Your father and I are going to have a talk with you when you get home. Get inside this carriage!"

Theresa giggled noiselessly as Agatha climbed inside the carriage and helped Rebecca get in. After Theresa sat down next to the latter, Elizabeth drove away from the school.

When they entered the house, Theodore told Theresa and Rebecca to go upstairs while he and Elizabeth spoke to Agatha in the parlor. The girls nodded and went to their bedrooms.

Theodore glared at Agatha as he heard the bedroom doors close. "Have a seat," he hissed, pointing to an armchair. Agatha sat down and Theodore snatched up a letter from his desk.

"Is this true?" he whispered menacingly. "You were fighting in school?"

Agatha was too afraid to open her mouth.

Theodore scowled. "_Answer me!_" he bellowed.

"Y-yes, Father," mumbled Agatha.

Her father stepped closer to her, his shadow enclosing the chair. "And did your mother not tell you that if you caused trouble at school, you would be flayed to within an inch of your life?"

Agatha began to tremble. "Yes, Father."

Theodore grabbed her hair. "Well, that's what is about happen. Bend over on the chair.

However, when Theodore released her, Agatha ran out of room like a frightened jackrabbit.

"YOU LITTLE BITCH! GET BACK IN HERE, _NOW_!" Theodore hollered, bolting after her.

Panting, Agatha dashed into the kitchen and out of the back door. She almost made it to the gate when her father caught her and dragged her back into the house.

Agatha kicked and squirmed as Theodore took her back to the parlor. Once there, he turned her around and slapped her, knocking her to the floor. Agatha screamed in pain as blood spurted out of her nose. Then she yelled again as a belt landed on the back of her legs repeatedly.

Finally, after what seemed like days, the beating stopped. "Go to your room. You are grounded until school is over in the summer. Perhaps that will remind you to behave yourself. Go!"

Agatha grabbed her school satchel and ran upstairs to her bedroom, sobbing stormily.

What a terrible day it turned out to be. She had gotten in serious trouble for fighting in school, and she was still considered an outcast.


	9. Chapter 8: Theresa Goes Home

Fifteen-year-old Agatha was asleep one night when a strange sound woke her up.

At first, Agatha could not tell what it she realized that it was people cheering a short distance away. She got out of bed, but just as she reached the door, someone opened it. It was Rebecca, who was now eleven years old.

"Oh, Agatha, the news is all over Vanford! The war is over! The Allies have won!" squealed Rebecca.

Dumbstruck, Agatha's mouth fell open. "Really?" she breathed.

Rebecca beamed. "Yes! Just ask Mother or Father and you will see!" she laughed.

Nodding, Agatha followed her to the parlor, where her parents and Theresa were staring out of the windows.

Agatha stood next to them. "Is it true?" she queried.

Theodore glanced at her, his eyes only three inches above hers, for Agatha had grown rapidly in the past four years.

Agatha was now six feet, three inches tall. She was taller than her friend Ruby and most of the students in her school. The only students who were as tall as she was were the students who participated in sports. Even her teachers seemed to have shrunk.

"Yes," Theodore replied shortly.

Behind him, Theresa sighed in bliss. "I'm so glad. My father is safe; he doesn't have to fight anymore. I'll be able to go home soon too," she murmured.

_And good riddance_, Agatha thought to herself, smiling secretly in glee. _I am happy that that bitch is leaving._

Elizabeth chuckled. "Yes, you will. We are going to miss you though. You must visit us every once in a while."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Trunchbull. I will." assured Theresa.

Suddenly, fireworks lit up the sky. Everyone in the Trunchbull household cheered.

"You know," Elizabeth declared some time later. "We ought to have a party today to celebrate the end of the war. We will have a farewell party for you too, my dear," she added in asides to Theresa. "We can invite our friends and ask them to bring food and drinks. Of course, we will have to set up the table on the lawn."

Agatha let out an inaudible sigh. She was greatly relieved that she did not have to cook a load of food for this party. Setting up the table would not be a problem as long as someone helped her.

No one slept for the rest of the night. They mostly listened to radio reports of people sharing their thoughts about the war's end.

Later that morning, Elizabeth sent party invitations to every wealthy family in Vanford. Many of them agreed to attend.

Then, Agatha, Theodore, and Elizabeth brought out the long table and place about fifty chairs around it.

The guests arrived around one o'clock. They brought pots of various stews, soups, and vegetables. They also provided chicken, beef, ham, goose, duck, and were casseroles and pans of Shepherd's pie. The desserts were assorted pies, puddings (A/N: Nachos anybody?), cakes, and ice creams. The cold drinks were water, iced tea, lemonade, and punch. The hot drinks were tea, coffee, and cocoa. Others brought wine, cider, and champagne.

For the first time in her life, Agatha enjoyed a party. It felt good to eat someone else's food. She sampled almost everything, and it was all very delicious, even the coffee!

When dinner was over, the children began to play. The teenagers and adults fell into groups and talked amongst themselves. Agatha sat off to the side with Ruby, whose family had been invited.

"It's a good thing that we don't have to have air raid drills anymore. I'm tired of sitting in my cellar. It's _freezing_ down there, even in the summer," the latter commented.

"Yes. My cellar is not cold, though. It just smells a bit strange," Agatha said.

Ruby chortled. "Well, at least it isn't cold. Oh no," she groaned suddenly. "What does _she_ want?"

Agatha turned and saw Theresa walking towards them, smiling smugly.

"Hey, Mellows! I'm surprised that Mr. and Mrs. Trunchbull invited your family to the party. You know that they wouldn't want your parents to let you associate with street urchins," Theresa taunted.

Ruby glared at her. "Shove off, Hilton!" she barked.

Theresa snorted and turned, running away. However, before she eve took seven paces, she slipped on a plate of spilled cake and fell into the flowerbed.

Agatha and Ruby slumped over laughing as Theresa slowly stood up, looking crestfallen. "Whose the street urchin now?" Agatha whispered to her friend, causing another round of giggles.

Elizabeth, who also saw what happened, rushed to Theresa. "Oh my goodness! Are you all right, dear?" she cried in distress.

"No. I'm not all right," moaned Theresa. "My clothes were spoiled and this is my best dress!"

Elizabeth rubbed her back. "Do not worry, my dear. Just wear your second-best dress. You will be fine."

So, Theresa changed into her ruffled-green dress. However, she only sat down at the table dejectedly for the rest of the day, her pride having received terrible bruises.

Agatha smirked again. How sweet was revenge when the powers that be interfered!

(A week later)

Agatha was in the kitchen preparing three pans of Shepherd's pie for Theresa's farewell party. Elizabeth told her to make it because it was Theresa's favorite dish. Agatha did not mind doing this in the least, enthusiastic that Theresa would be leaving them early the next morning.

In the parlor, the rest of the Trunchbulls and Theresa were waiting for the latter's friends and admirers to arrive. More than twenty people were coming.

The table was set up on the lawn again, as well as a banner. It said: _Good-bye, Theresa! We will miss you!_ The best china plates and silverware were to be placed on the table.

The flowerbed was neat again, for Agatha had been instructed to straighten it back up the day after Theresa fell in it. She still snickered over that event every time she thought about it. Ruby often teased Theresa at school, telling her that she looked like a ragamuffin.

Surprisingly, Theresa never gave a response or retort. She would only turn away from Ruby and walk over to her friends. However, Agatha noticed that Theresa's fists would clench and that her eyes filled with rage, humiliation, and embarrassment.

Consequentially, Ruby was not invited to the party. This meant that Agatha would have to sit by herself while Theresa and her friends talked amongst themselves. Agatha sighed.

In due time, all of the guests arrived, and everyone sat at the table.

Once Agatha served everyone, they said grace and ate their food. When the meal was over, Elizabeth stood up and cleared her throat.

"May I have your attention, please!" the latter called. The children grew quiet at once.

"I would like to give a speech in honor of Theresa.

"Theresa came to us five years ago because the war made living in London unsafe. I did not realize, when she first came here, what a wonderful little girl she was. I am glad to know her, and I will surely miss her after she leaves. Thank you, Theresa, for being all that you can be," concluded Elizabeth, raising her glass. "To Theresa."

"Theresa," everyone else chanted, raising their cups as well.

Then, Rebecca came up to Theresa and held out a bouquet of bright-blue lobelias and daisies. Theresa smiled, accepted them gratefully, and everyone applauded.

Next, Agatha cleared the table while everyone started to converse with each other. Once she put the dishes in the sink, she went outside and sat on the steps. She gazed wistfully at everyone, wishing that Ruby was invited.

While Agatha was thinking of this, Theresa sauntered up to her.

"Hey, Agatha! It's a shame that your little friend couldn't be here today, isn't it?" she sneered.

Agatha did not reply. She only glowered at her feet.

Theresa did not leave her alone. "Well? Aren't you going to wallop me in the stomach? Swear at me? Slap me in the face?" she questioned mockingly.

Agatha still remained silent.

Theresa grew angry. She was not used to being ignored, and she hated the silent treatment. Scowling, she grabbed Agatha hair and jerked it hard.

It took all of her self-restraint to keep from beating Theresa to a pulp. As it was, she had no choice but to keep ignoring her. She did not want to get in trouble with her parents.

When Theresa saw that Agatha would not fight back, she stormed away in a huff.

Agatha brightened a little and looked back up. Theresa was now chatting with a group of friends, casting dirty looks at her from time to time.

_I cannot believe that she pulled my hair just because I would not pay attention to her. Who does she think she is-a princess? I will show her!_ Agatha thought vehemently.

Her chance came later that evening.

Theresa had just bidden all of her friends a very tearful good-bye and went in the house. Theodore, Elizabeth, and Rebecca followed after her.

Agatha groaned at the fact that she would have to put the table away all by herself. Sighing resignedly, she moved to one end of the table preparatory to folding it.

As she did, she noticed that Theresa had left her bouquet on the table. She glanced at the windows to make sure that no one was there. Then she took the bouquet, went into the trees at the edge of the yard, and tore the flowers to shreds. Once she was finished, Agatha put the table away and went inside the house.

Nobody remembered the bouquet.

(Next morning)

Agatha woke up at six o'clock and went downstairs to cook breakfast. Normally, she did not prepare the first meal of the day this early. However, since Theresa had to leave the house at 7:15 just to catch the 7:49 train, it was best. It took fifteen minutes to reach the station, and Theodore and Elizabeth wanted to be there early.

Breakfast was very noisy, due to the fact that Agatha's parents and Theresa were going through last minute things. Theresa was fluttery with excitement.

"I can't wait to see Mother and Father again. I missed them so much. I'm glad to be going home," she sighed happily.

Elizabeth smiled. "Neither of your parents will recognize you. You have grown so tall and stylish," she observed.

Theresa chuckled.

At 7:00, breakfast was over. Theodore placed Theresa's trunk and suitcases in the back of the carriage. Then it was time for them to go to the station.

"Just leave the dishes, Agatha. You will wash them when we come back home," Elizabeth stated.

Agatha nodded and went outside. Once her mother locked the front door, everyone climbed into the carriage and went on their way.

The ride to the station was quiet. They reached it in due time and waited on the crowded platform.

At 7:49, the train puffed loudly into the station. Elizabeth and Theodore turned to Theresa.

"Have a safe ride home. Be sure to write to us when you are settled. Good-bye, dear," Elizabeth declared, embracing her.

Theodore and Rebecca embraced Theresa and said good-bye to her too.

When it was Agatha's turn to bid her farewell, she and Theresa glared at each other for a second. "Well," muttered Agatha, breaking the silence and holding out her hand. "Good-bye."

Theresa nodded stiffly, taking Agatha's hand and shaking it briefly. She handed her trunk and suitcases to a uniformed man, gave a final wave, and boarded onto the train.

"All aboard!" a man suddenly yelled. The last remaining stragglers clambered onto the train. A whistle blew, and the train lurched forward. It moved faster and faster until it rounded the bend.

Theresa was gone. Agatha could barely refrain from whooping and cheering.

(A/N: Sorry if I bored you silly with these past couple of chapters, but do not worry. The next chapter is when things will really start to happen. Read chapter 2 again, the Christmas section, for the title of the next chapter will be one of the presents she received, and will give you a clue as to what will happen next. Ten points to anyone who guesses the title and what happens correctly. Once I finish writing it, I will post it. Take care, everyone.)


	10. Chapter 9: A Tarnished Tea Set

(A/N: WARNING! If rape and incest bothers you, do not read this chapter. If you do want to read it, skip through certain parts of it.)

More than a year had passed after Theresa had left the Trunchbull household. Agatha was now sixteen.

She had not grown any taller than when she was fifteen. Nevertheless, Agatha grew in other ways.

She became much more mature and more serious.

Also, she was wiser than most of the people her age. This goes without saying; anyone who went through what she had would know that life was not always easy, even if you are wealthy.

Finally, she had started to go through puberty very rapidly. Most of her female classmates were already going through it, but Agatha started late due to unhealthiness and malnourishment. Although she worked everyday, she was often given little or no food when she was punished. She was glad that she was able to go through puberty because it meant that she was in good shape.

Agatha was not looking forward to being an adult, however. Once she was eighteen, her parents would-most likely-force her to get a job as a maid.

That was not the type of career that she wanted to pursue. What she really wanted to do was teach. She wanted to help children learn and comfort the ones who lived the life she was living. She would like that better than cooking, cleaning, and waiting on people. She was tired of doing that all of the time, and she did not think that she could stand doing that for the rest of her life.

What she needed to do was to talk to her parents. She knew that they would not agree to let her study teaching, but she _had_ to tell them. Otherwise, her future was bleak.

So when would she ask them? She did not have time in the morning. Afternoons after school were better, but Agatha could never be sure if her parents or sister would have guests. It was her best bet to speak to them after supper, when her parents were not busy. Normally, they were reading books, magazines, and newspapers during that time.

She would talk to her parents then.

(Sometime in early October)

"Mother? Father? May I have a word with you please?" Agatha queried one evening.

She had just finished the last of her duties, which were washing the dishes and polishing the silver. Agatha saw that it was still a while before bedtime, so she took the opportunity to speak to her parents.

Agatha was hovering outside of the entrance to the parlor, frightened of what her parents' responses would be. But she would have to speak to them sooner or later, so she gulped and stepped into the room.

Now, her parents looked up at her. "What is it, girl?" her father demanded snappishly.

Sitting down on a chair opposite to them, Agatha continued. "I wanted to talk to you about the type of career I would like to pursue. After much thought, I would like to be a teacher."

Theodore stared at her for a second, then shrugged. "If you want to teach, than that's what you will do. Your mother and I decided early on that you should either be a maid or a teacher."

Agatha blinked in surprise. She had not expected that her father would give his consent to this. Just as she was about to thank him, her father started to speak again.

"Now that the subject has been brought up, I would also like to mention that I will send you to Grant's Teachers' Training College in London once you have graduated high school. Do you understand me?" Theodore inquired.

"Yes, Father," Agatha replied.

Her father nodded. "You can go now," he stated.

"Yes, Father. And thank you," added Agatha.

Theodore bobbed his head again, and Agatha went upstairs to her room, smiling widely when her parent could not see her.

_I do not think that I have ever been this happy in my whole life_, she thought as she changed into her nightgown.

(Next day)

While Agatha was eating lunch at school, she told Ruby about the conversation she had with her father. Ruby squealed in delight.

"I'm surprised that he didn't say no," the latter remarked in surprise. "He never really let's you do anything that he thinks will make you happy. He would rather want you to feel miserable."

Agatha chuckled in agreement. "You sure are right about that," she snorted. "I am just glad that I can be what I want to be."

"Me too. I'm happy that you're glad because you always seem glum, tired, or angry. You deserve all of the happiness in the world," declared Ruby.

Agatha grinned. "How are things going at your house?" she asked.

Ruby's face fell. "Not good. If my parents keep on treating me like shit, I'm going to run away from home!"

Taken aback by Ruby's tone and unrefined language, Agatha queried, "What did they do now?"

"Mother slapped me in the face because the grits that we had for breakfast was burned. She was cooking them, but then someone called her on the telephone and she had to leave it for a minute. When she poured the food into our bowls and saw that it was burned, she slapped me hard. She blamed me for what happened even though it was her fault for leaving it," grumbled Ruby. "Besides that, they always yell at me."

Agatha shook her head in sympathy. "That is not fair," she murmured.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, chewing their food in silence.

"Hey Agatha, I have an idea. If I run away, why don't you come with me? I know that you wish to get away from your parents. They treat you worse than my mother and father do!" exclaimed Ruby.

"I would love to. I am tired of being treated like a slave. But I do not think that it would be a good idea. If we were found, our parents would kill us!" cried Agatha.

"Not if you hide yourself correctly."

"That is true."

"But if I knew a way to keep us from getting caught, would you come?"

"You know I would."

Ruby gazed at Agatha solemnly and nodded.

They continued to eat their lunch then, and when the bell rang, they went to their next class.

It was just as well that Ruby had brought up the urge to run away. A couple of weeks later, something happened to Agatha that changed her life, and she would never be the same.

(One Friday afternoon)

"Girl! Rebecca and I are going to a party. We will be back after ten. Be sure to give your father his supper and do not forget about your chores!" Elizabeth called to Agatha as she was leaving the house.

"Yes, Mother!" responded Agatha from the dining room, which she was cleaning.

The front door closed and Agatha finished up tidying the aforesaid room. Afterwards, she went to the kitchen to cook some steak, noodles, and vegetables.

When it was finished, Agatha fixed a plate for herself and let the rest of the food simmer in their pots to keep warm.

It was not until Agatha was halfway through her meal that she realized that her father was away from home later than usual. He was normally home about a half hour after she came home from school.

Agatha shrugged as she ate the last of her food and washed her dishes. Then she went to dust the parlor.

Forty-five minutes later, as Agatha was about to sweep and mop the kitchen floor, Theodore walked into the house. He was reeking strongly of liquor.

"Where is your mother?" he demanded.

"She went to a party and took Rebecca with her."

Theodore grunted. "Is supper still warm?"

Agatha nodded. "Yes, Father."

She went to the kitchen, fixed him a plate, and set it in front of him on the table. Then she went to sweep and dust the kitchen floor.

Twenty minutes later, Agatha was done, and Theodore's plate was wiped clean. Agatha took it and washed it along with the silverware. Then she went upstairs to her room.

Agatha changed into her nightclothes and was reaching for a book of a shelf when she heard a sound behind her. Pivoting, she saw that her father was behind her.

"Is there something wrong?" she queried, startled. "Do you need anything?"

"No," Theodore said quietly. "But I want to talk to you about something."

Agatha waited as her father collected himself.

"First of all," the latter began. "I want to say that I admire your decision to become a teacher."

Pleased and astonished, Agatha whispered, "Thank you."

Theodore peered at her again. "You had handled the situation like a fully-grown adult would when you spoke to me and your mother. You even look like an adult now. You have grown-up so much," he claimed.

Agatha nearly beamed, but then she began to frown. Something was not right about his statement, and she did not like the way he was looking at her. Before she could mull this over, however, her father moved closer.

A shiver crept up Agatha's skin, and she felt the sudden need to shield herself. She also felt that she should say something, but it seemed as if she had an attack of laryngitis.

"I cannot believe how much you have grown in the past year. Soon you will marry...and have children," Theodore remarked.

Then, before Agatha could react, her father reached out a grabbed her chest.

"Father...let go of me!" the former shrieked, unnerved.

Theodore shifted his hands to her wrists. "Be quiet. You are a woman now, and you are going to be treated like one," he hissed.

Agatha started to sob, realizing what he meant. "Father...please..." she wept, trying to pull away.

"Be still!" commanded Theodore, squeezing her arms more tightly.

"Please...let me go," whimpered Agatha.

Theodore smiled evilly. "Not until I am done with you, I will not."

He grabbed her breasts again. Agatha wrenched away and attempted to run towards the door, but her father was faster and stronger. He snatched her up and threw her on the bed, tearing off her clothes.

"_Father, stop!_" shouted Agatha in terror.

"Shut up, you little bitch!" Theodore bellowed. He backhanded Agatha, bruising her cheek and splitting her lip.

Agatha yelled in pain as her father straightened and undressed. She turned away from him, fearful of what she would see. "Please..." she begged again.

"SHUT UP!" hollered Theodore, slapping her again. He laid down and pinned her to the bed.

"Father...!"

"SHUT UP!"

Agatha cried, then screamed as her father slammed into her, ripping her virginal skin and filling her with unendurable pain. Tears streamed down her face.

As her father continued, Agatha felt blood pouring onto the sheet, soaking the bed. She wanted to disappear, to die, to leave this excruciating pain behind her as her innocence leaked away. She tried to fight off her father again, but he had her pressed tightly to the bed.

"You are not going anywhere!" Theodore growled.

He kept going for a half an hour-though it seemed like forever to Agatha. Then he stood up, wiped the blood off of himself, and got dressed. After that, he left the room.

Agatha rolled over and sobbed bitterly. Never had she been treated like this. Never had she been attacked in such a way that she felt like shattered glass in the outcome.

Once the pain had subsided somewhat, Agatha went to her dresser and closet and threw her clothes into a large sack, along with some books. She had to get away before he father did this to her again.

As she packed away a few dresses from her closet, her eyes fell on a tarnished tea set that she received nearly eleven years ago. Agatha threw it aside, not wanting to look at the pot, cups, and saucers that reminded her so much of herself and of what happened earlier.

When she packed everything that she could, she turned off her bedroom light, closed the door, and snuck into the hallway.

Her father was snoring in his room, so she quietly tiptoed down the stairs. After creeping out of and locking the back door, Agatha ran into the shelter of the woods, heading towards Ruby's house.

After a nearly thirty-five minute walk-she had to stop often because of the pain between her legs-she reached Ruby's backyard.

Looking up, she saw that Ruby's bedroom light was on. Agatha picked up a few small rocks and threw them at the window. Ruby appeared a moment later and opened it when she realized who she was.

"Agatha!" she breathed, aghast. "What are you doing out here this late?"

"I am running away," explained Agatha in a hollow voice.

Ruby brightened. "Really? Well, I'm going with you. My parents are driving me mad," she whispered. She looked behind her. "My parents are asleep. I'll be down in fifteen minutes."

Agatha sat down on the back steps until Ruby walked out. Turning, she saw that Ruby was holding a sack as well.

"Oh my goodness, what happened to your face?" gasped the latter, her eyes wide with horror as she gaped at Agatha's cheek and lip.

Agatha could not speak. She felt frozen. How could she tell her what her father did? How could she describe the feelings of ripped and burned? Of being ruined? Of being torn and thrown into a smelly gutter...a feeling that nauseated and saddened her? Tears welled into her eyes.

Luckily, Ruby understood that she did not feel like talking. "Come on," she murmured, taking her hand.

Agatha and Ruby darted through the thick trees that surrounded the village, keeping off the road.

As they made their way to the edge of Vanford, the girls heard the sounds of people laughing, women talking, and dogs barking. They could also hear crickets and the wind whooshing through the trees. Ruby tripped over a root, but Agatha held her up.

"So," Agatha said in the same empty voice. "Have your parents done anything to you lately?"

"Yes. They yelled at me and hit me some more. I was about to leave before you came," Ruby responded. "But enough about that. How did you get that bruise on your face? And why is your lip so bloody?"

Agatha squirmed. "My father hit me, and he h-hurt me," she replied after a long minute.

Ruby scowled at her slightly. "He hurt you? In what way?"

Trembling, Agatha pointed to her private area.

Gasping, Ruby breathed, "He touched you?"

"No. Worse." Agatha mumbled.

Ruby gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh, Agatha, I'm so sorry! I would never have guess that _that_ was the reason you ran away!" she remarked. She embraced Agatha for a long time.

Eventually, Ruby let her go, and Agatha felt a little bit better. "Come on," whispered the former. "We have to hurry if we want to get away from here. There's a stream not far outside of the village. We can lose our scent in the water if we walk in it. By dawn, we should reach an orphanage called St. Octavia's, which is right by the stream.

Agatha nodded, and they pressed on.

A short time later, they reached the edge of Vanford. Agatha turned to gaze at the village for one last time. Never again would she return to this backwards place. Never again would she return to Vanford Private School. Never again would she see her mother's shiny daisies and bright-blue lobelias.

Never again would she return to the house where she had been broken.

(Thirty minutes later)

"Here we are," Ruby declared when she and Agatha reached a stream a quarter of a mile beyond the village.

They took of their shoes and stockings and put them in their sack. Then they stepped into the cold water, trudging upstream and placing their sacks on their heads.

The water went up to Agatha's waist and Ruby's chest. Its coolness gradually took away the pain between the former's legs, and she was able to move faster.

Through the long hours of the night, Agatha and Ruby continued on their quest, stopping only to rest. The nighttime sounds that seemed so comforting now frightened them. Every twig snapping was the sound of policemen. Every brief silence pressed themselves onto their girls' eardrums as they fought the current and sleep.

Finally, just as they felt that they could not go on, dawn approached. Agatha and Ruby could not help but smile.

"We're nearly there. It's only a bit further. Let's keep going," announced Ruby.

They plowed through the stream for a while longer, the sky growing lighter by the moment. Then, when the girls stopped to take a break, the sun peaked over the horizon, bathing the world with light.

One of the sun's golden rays seemed to stretch out and touch the surface of St. Octavia's, making it shine like a beacon of promise and hope.

They were home.


	11. Chapter 10: Silence

Agatha and Ruby climbed out of the stream and put on their shoes and stockings. Then they strolled up to the building, stopping at the front entrance.

The orphanage was five stories high, with four small windows on each side on the front and back, and ten windows on the sides. It was coated in faded white paint. A chipped platinum plaque said _St. Octavia's Orphanage_ in black letters.

"Do you think anyone in there would be awake this early?" inquired Ruby.

"Probably the Headmistress or the maids," Agatha noted quietly.

Ruby nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I'll ring the bell and we'll see," she remarked.

She rang the doorbell, and they waited. A few minutes later, a maid answered it.

"Yes?" the maid said briskly.

"We would like to see the Headmistress, please," responded Ruby.

The maid inclined her head and told them to come in. She led them through a hallway to an office in the back.

"Enter," a stern female voice replied when the maid knocked on the door. The latter opened it.

"These girls would like to speak to you ma'am," the maid stated.

The Headmistress peered at the girls. She had short, gleaming blonde hair which was pulled up into a bun. She had sharp gray eyes and a medium-shaped nose. Her mouth was a hard line. She was slender with large hands and feet. The dull gray dress she was wearing was very plain, and it make her look even more thin.

"Thank you, Ophelia. Come in," she commanded, indicating Agatha and Ruby.

The girls sauntered into the room and sat down as Ophelia closed the door.

The Headmistress turned to the girls. "Is there something I can help you with?" she queried.

"Yes, miss," Ruby answered. "We have run away from home last night, and we were wondering if we could stay here."

Raising an eyebrow, the Headmistress demanded. "Why did you run away?"

"Our parents abused us," Ruby replied simply. "We had to get away."

"I see," the Headmistress claimed, staring at both girls in turn. She froze when she saw Agatha's face. "Goodness gracious, child! Who did this to you?" she gasped, holding her face and inspecting the purple-black bruise and split lip. She noticed her wrists and looked at them too, for they were also bruised.

Agatha whispered, "M-my father."

The Headmistress tisked. "You poor girl! Has he hurt you anywhere else? Do you have anymore bruises?"

Shifting, Agatha looked away, but Headmistress placed a hand on her shoulder. "You can tell me, child. It is okay," the latter assured in a surprisingly soft voice.

"Yes," Agatha murmured, still not looking at her. "He did."

The Headmistress squeezed her shoulder. "What did he do?"

Silence filled the room as Agatha thought of what she would say and how she would say it.

The Headmistress cleared her throat. "Did he...hurt you...here?" she murmured, pointing to her private area.

A tear rolled down Agatha's face as she bobbed her head.

"Oh dear...I'm very sorry. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear," sighed the Headmistress, shaking her head in disgust and sympathy. She went back around her desk and sat down. Her eyes were wide. "Well, it is obvious that it would be best that neither of you should return to your homes. You can stay here until you're adopted. Now...I want you to tell me everything about yourselves."

Agatha and Ruby gave the Headmistress, whose name was Miss Glensferd, all of the information she needed.

"All right, then," Miss Glensferd said, standing up. "I will show you to the room you will be sleeping in. Follow me."

The girls fell in step behind Miss Glendsferd as she walked out of the office and up a rickety stairway.

"Here we are," grunted Miss Glensferd as they reached the fifth floor. She opened a door on the right side of the corridor.

Agatha and Ruby peeked into a room that was full of teenage girls sleeping. More than thirty beds were in it. The room seemed gray, mostly because everything in it was. The walls, the blankets, even the nightgowns. The only things that were not gray were the drawers and bed frames, which were brown and dusty.

"There ought to be some empty bed in here," Miss Glensferd declared. "Yes, over there. Come."

Agatha and Ruby followed Miss Glensferd to one end of the large room, where two empty beds stood next to each other. Drawers were behind them.

Miss Glensferd gestured to them. "Put your clothes in there. Keep them folded and as neat as possible. If you have any other personal items, place them with your clothes. Wait," she said, gazed at the girls. "I shall have to give you two new clothes. Those frilly dresses are not part of the attire here." She left the room for a minute, then came back, handing the both of them three dresses and three nightgowns.

Their attire consisted of three very plain dresses: a gray one to wear after school, church, and on the weekends. A blue one was for school, and a white one for church.

"Breakfast will be in a half an hour. Take a shower and wash up," Miss Glensferd instructed.

Agatha and Ruby put their clothes besides their gray skirts in their drawers and took a quick shower. After that, they went downstairs.

"Oh! There you are. I am going to introduce you to the girls in your age group-they are between the ages of fourteen and seventeen," Miss Glensferd explained, striding up to them.

"Yes, ma'am," the girls murmured.

Miss Glensferd turned to Agatha and whispered in her ear. "If you need to talk about anything, I am always available. If I am not, you can speak to Nurse Stacey. She is also a counselor."

Agatha nodded.

Then, they heard voices heading in their direction; children were coming down the stairs, chattering happily. They joined Agatha, Ruby, and Miss Glensferd in the hall before walking into a huge dining room.

The dining room was lined with more than a dozen long tables with the seats attached to them.

Miss Glensferd led the girls to a table in the middle of the room. "You are here. Girls, this is Agatha Trunchbull and Ruby Mellows. Please welcome them and make them feel at home here," she stated. Then she turned around and went to another table.

Agatha and Ruby sat down and stared at the other girls, but did not say anything to them. The other girls did not speak to them either. However, they glanced at them from time to time, judging them. They gaped at Agatha particularly, scowling perplexing at her bruised face. Agatha wished that they would not.

Before anyone could do anything else, the maids started to bring in the food and serve the children.

The breakfast was porridge, an apple, and milk.

"Mmm. It tastes even better than my mother's," Ruby smiled. "And we get plenty of it too."

Agatha grinned for the first time in what seemed like years, but did not speak.

Ruby frowned at her in concern. "Why are you so quiet? Normally, I can't get you to stop talking," she noted.

Shrugging, Agatha began to eat her food. _Ruby is right. This oatmeal is good. It is just as good as mine_, she thought.

She remained silent for the rest of the meal, nodding or shaking her head when Ruby asked her a question. By the time she had finished her food, breakfast was over.

Since it was Saturday, the children went outside or engaged in other activities.

"Excuse me," Ruby declared to a girl who had a pale face and black hair. "Where do you usually go during free times?"

The girl turned to her. "The activity room. Want to come with us?"

"Sure."

The activity room was large and consisted of books, games, and arts and craft supplies. The girls in Agatha and Ruby's age group sat in one corner of the room. They began to gossip, roll yarn into balls, and mend torn clothing.

Ruby turned to the girl. "Thanks for inviting us. What's your name?" she questioned.

"Sophia Robins," the girl replied.

Ruby smiled. "Pleased to meet you." She looked around. "This is a very gray place."

Sophia chuckled. "Yes. I'm used to it though. I've lived here for eleven years. My parents died when I was five."

"How?"

"Tuberculosis. They couldn't afford any medicine."

"That's sad. I'm so sorry."

"Ah, don't worry about it."

They grew silent for a moment, trying to think of something else to say.

"So..." Ruby began, clearing her throat. "What is school like here in the orphanage?"

"It's not bad. The teachers are really strict, though. We use twelve rooms in the back section of the building. The rooms are very big. One room is for the first grade, another for the second, and so on. Three rooms fit on one floor. The rooms of the lower grades are almost always overcrowded because many young children are sent here, especially babies. Sometimes there aren't even enough beds for everybody, so they'd have to share," Sophia claimed.

Ruby nodded pensively. "Does anyone ever get adopted?"

"Sometimes. Mostly the younger children do. Every once in a while, someone adopts a boy or girl in our age group. It's usually if they want someone for work for them as a maid, servant, or wet nurse."

Agatha perked up at this piece of information. Is that what would happen if she was adopted? She hoped not!

"Is it like that all the time?" she whispered.

Sophia turned to her. "No. Sometimes someone adopts someone our age to be their child's older sibling," she remarked.

Agatha let out an inaudible sigh of relief. At least she did not have to worry about servitude half as much.

Sophia frowned at Ruby in concern. "What's wrong with her?" she queried. "She's very quiet."

"Nothing. We ran away from home and we walked all night to get here, so she's probably just tired," responded Ruby.

"You look sleepy yourself. Both of you should have a nap. It's the weekend, so Miss Glensferd won't mind," Sophia added.

Ruby nodded. "I could do with some sleep. Are you coming, Agatha?"

"Yes," Agatha replied, standing up.

"Okay, then. We'll see you later Sophia."

Sophia beamed. "All right."

When they were walking upstairs, Ruby gazed at Agatha. "Agatha, what's the matter? Do you want to talk about anything?"

Agatha shook her head. "No, I do not want to talk. I am just sleepy," she mumbled.

Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly but did not say anything else.

Once they got to the bedroom, they laid down and pulled their blankets over them. Ruby fell asleep almost immediately, but Agatha could not, preoccupied with her thoughts.

She did not say it to Ruby, but something _was_ the matter. She kept thinking about what happened the night before. She did want to talk about it, but she felt as if she could not. _I guess that it would be better if I did not say anything at all, for who would understand what I was going through?_ she thought.

Agatha pursed her lips, resolving to stay silent about her problem no matter what.

(Two days later)

Monday morning dawned sunny and bright. Agatha was sleeping fitfully when a clanging bell rang in the corridor. She woke up, taking out her school dress and going to the bathroom to shower. Ruby followed her.

A couple of days had passed since Agatha arrived at the orphanage. Within that time, Ruby and Miss Glensferd grew increasingly worried about her.

Ever since Agatha had made the pact never to talk about what happened her, she rarely spoke at all.

Ruby, unused to this new, silent Agatha, often asked her if she was well.

"I am fine," Agatha would always mutter.

Instead of reassuring Ruby, it only made her feel more worried. She knew what was going through Agatha's mind, and that it was causing her pain, but Ruby wished she would speak about it. Agatha may feel better then.

Miss Glensferd was also uneasy about Agatha's quietness. Knowing what her father had done to her only helped her so much. She decided to plan counseling sessions for her, hoping that they would help. She knew that if Agatha did not speak about her problem soon, she would end up in an insane asylum.

Anyway, back to the present.

Agatha took a quick shower and got dressed. Then she slung her new school satchel over her shoulder and waited for Ruby.

The latter was flushing brilliantly as she entered the room ten minutes later.

"I can't believe that we're starting a new school! I would never have guessed that this would happen in a million years!" she exclaimed, smiling widely. "Agatha, your dress is a bit rumpled in the front. There, I've fixed it. Didn't you even notice it when you were in front of the mirror?"

Agatha had not looked in the mirror. The truth was that she hated what she saw. Every time she looked at one, she saw a ruined girl with a bruised face, busted lip, and hollow eyes. Agatha certainly could not have explained this, so she shrugged.

Ruby fought the impulse to slap her. "Come on," she sighed, her excitement fading slightly.

After a breakfast of bacon, eggs, and creamed wheat, all of the children walked around to the back section of the orphanage.

Agatha and Ruby were cleared to continue the eleventh grade, so they had to go to the fourth floor.

"Let's go, Agatha. Room 402 is over there," Ruby claimed.

Room 402 was gigantic. You could fit three smaller classrooms in it. There were fifty-two desks in the room (two having been added minutes before.) Many of the teenagers slid into theirs, already being acquainted with the rules and regulations.

Agatha and Ruby were about to sit down themselves when the teacher, Mr. Norris, stopped them.

"Excuse me, young ladies. I want you to introduce yourselves to me. Tell me your names, please," Mr. Norris commanded.

"Ruby Mellows," proclaimed Ruby.

"Agatha Trunchbull," whispered Agatha.

Mr. Norris scowled. "I beg your pardon?" he demanded. Several students tittered.

Agatha cleared her throat. "Agatha Trunchbull, sir," she repeated a bit louder.

Mr. Norris nodded. "Good. You can sit down now. In fact...Jefferey Rawles, Howard Wilkins, sit in the empty chairs. I want Ruby and Agatha to sit in the front," he declared.

Agatha and Ruby took Jefferey and Howard's seats and took out their notebooks and pens.

The rest of the morning went by in a fog to Agatha. The hours moved by so quickly that she could not fully grasp the subjects being taught. Mr. Norris could tell that she was not paying attention, so he often called on her.

"Miss Trunchbull, if you expect to pass any of your classes, you'll have to get your head out of the clouds," he remarked.

Ripples of laughter bubbled through the room, but Agatha was too immersed in her thoughts to feel embarrassed.

When she and Ruby were at lunch, the latter turned to the former. "Agatha, what is wrong with you? You've been too quiet lately, and now you're not paying attention in class. You always listen closely to the teachers," Ruby pointed out.

Agatha did not respond.

Frustrated beyond belief, Ruby snapped. She seized Agatha and shook her violently, oblivious to the bewildered and frightened stares of everyone else.

"Agatha Trunchbull, you stop this nonsense right now!" she bellowed.

Flabbergasted, Agatha felt her jaw drop. "What are you shaking me for?" she inquired.

"I'm shaking you because you're acting ridiculous!" replied Ruby hotly. Then she looked around. Almost everyone was gaping at them.

"We'll talk about this later," she murmured, letting Agatha go.

(Later)

The rest of the day went by rapidly. Finally, at three o'clock, school was over. Many of the students buzzed cheerfully, thankful that the day was over.

The next three hours were known to the children as "homework time." It was just as well. The teachers always gave them a ton of homework, no matter what grade they were in.

It was not until after supper that Ruby had time to speak to Agatha. They went upstairs to the empty bedroom where they would have some privacy.

"So," Agatha began. "Are you going to tell me why you shook me in front of everyone?"

Ruby sat down in front of her. "Look Agatha, I'm sorry for what I did, but I just can't take your silence anymore. I mean, there were plenty of times when you were depressed, but at least you spoke," she pointed out.

Agatha sighed. "Well, what do you want me to do?" she demanded.

"I want you to start talking again. You don't want to be sent to a shrink do you?"

"...No..."

"Okay, then."

Ruby embraced Agatha. "You're my best friend. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."


	12. Chapter 11: Adoption

"But why? Why do you want me to go through counseling?" Agatha inquired of Miss Glensferd a few days later when they were in her office.

Miss Glensferd took a deep breath. "Because of what your father did. Also, it is because you seem to be keeping quiet a lot lately. My dear, if you keep suppressing your emotions, you will lash out at people. Also, you will almost always be angry. You will go insane if that happens," she noted.

Agatha sat back in her seat and crossed her arms, pouting.

"Look, Agatha, this attitude will not get you anywhere. Now, you have an appointment with Nurse Stacey tomorrow at 1:00pm. She will be expecting you," stated Miss Glensferd.

_You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink_, Agatha said to herself vehemently.

Miss Glensferd sighed wearily. "You may go," she murmured, waving her hand.

Agatha stood up and left the office. She met Ruby in the activity room.

"She scheduled an appointment for you? Miss Glensferd really must be worried," the latter remarked.

"I know, but I do not want to attend it. If Nurse Stacey was not expecting me, I would not go," Agatha grumbled.

Ruby eyed her critically. "You know you would be in trouble if you didn't show up. Miss Glensferd seems like the kind of person who would force someone to do what they were told, but not in a bad way," she warned.

Agatha did not reply to this. She was so enraged. She did not want counseling, and she did not think she needed it either. However, everyone who knew about the situation thought the opposite. It made Agatha feel betrayed, and she wanted to throw something at someone-something heavy.

"Just give it a chance, Agatha," pleaded Ruby. "Nurse Stacey might be able to make it all better."

"How do you know? I do not need any help. I can deal with my problems all by myself," Agatha argued.

Ruby gazed at her in shock. "Agatha, this is not like you at all. Why are you so upset?"

"Because everyone thinks I am crazy just because I am quiet most of the time. Maybe I am quiet because I do not want to talk. Who says that I had to?"

Ruby did not have an idea of what she could say. This bitter, angry Agatha was even worse than the silent one.

Agatha must have saw the look in her eyes, for she calmed down.

"I am sorry," she muttered. "I will give it a chance, but if it does not help me, I will not do it anymore. Okay?"

Ruby stared at her and sighed. "All right," she whispered.

(The next day)

At one o'clock sharp, Agatha knocked on the door to Nurse Stacey's office.

"Come in," a soft voice directed.

Agatha stepped into the room and looked around. The office was brightly lit and spacious. It had a small oak desk with an upright chair behind it. It also had a loveseat couch along one wall and an armchair in front of it.

"Good afternoon," said Nurse Stacey, who was sitting behind the desk.

"Good afternoon," Agatha responded stiffly.

Nurse Stacey smiled. She was a very beautiful woman. She had curly brown hair with warm brown eyes, a fair-sized nose, and red lips. She was tall and looked to be of average weight.

"How are you today, Agatha," she queried now.

Agatha shrugged and perched on a chair in front of the desk. "Fine."

Nurse Stacey sat back slowly. "Miss Glensferd told me about what your father did to you. Can you tell me what happened in your own words? Take your time. No one else is listening but me," she assured, picking up a pad and a pen. She also pushed a box of tissues forward.

Looking down at her hands, Agatha did not think that she could tell her. Her father's attack had left her a broken, mute girl, with her secrets bottled up tight.

"May I have a glass of water first, please?" she inquired.

"Sure," replied Nurse Stacey. She left the room for a moment and came back with a filled cup.

"Now, do you think you can tell me about what happened?" she asked when Agatha had finished.

Again, Agatha froze, but a quick glance at Nurse Stacey's eyes told her that it was okay. She took a deep breath and told her story.

Nurse Stacey listened to her closely, writing on her pad and nodding pensively. When Agatha started to sob, she walked around the desk and rubbed her back comfortingly until she settled down.

"...and after he forced me, I packed up my things and ran away with my friend Ruby to come here. She had heard about this place, and she planned to come here if she ever wanted to escape _her_ parents," concluded Agatha.

"I understand. Now tell me, Agatha, what do you feel when you think about what your father has done?" Nurse Stacey murmured.

Scowling fiercely, Agatha's mouth curled. "I feel enraged. Also, I feel hurt and ruined. I can still feel the pain from when it happened. I cannot believe he did that to me."

Nurse Stacey nodded. "Tell me more about your parents. What were they like? Were they ever kind to you?"

"No. They were rarely kind to me. The only times they were was when they bought me new clothes and let me visit their friends. They always made me do all housework too, ever since I was six."

"Were you punished often?"

"Yes."

"What were your punishments?"

"They would yell at me or spank me. They would slap me too. Sometimes, when my father hit me, he would make my lip bleed. At other times, they would give me extra chores and make me work without meals for an entire day. When I was younger, they would send me to my room."

"Why did they treat you so badly?"

"They think that I am ugly, and that I had done something wrong to be that way. They don't like ugly people."

Nurse Stacey pursed her lips. Pity stirred in her heart for Agatha. All of her life, she had experienced nothing but abuse, drudgery, and neglect. "I know that you must have felt sad and angry nearly all the time," she noted.

"Yes," Agatha said. "I hated it there. I am glad that I had ran away."

"Me too. You were very brave to do so as well. Many girls would not have had the courage," Nurse Stacey stated, smiling at Agatha a little.

Agatha nodded.

Nurse Stacey sat back down behind her desk. "Well, my dear. It seems as if you are repressing a lot of anger. So, whenever you are upset, take a few breaths and think of something happy. If crying helps you, do it privately, but if you want, you can come to me. Punching and yelling into your pillow can help too. Your next appointment will be the same time next Saturday. You may go."

Agatha stood up and left the room.

When Nurse Stacey spoke to Miss Glensferd later that day, she told her everything that Agatha had said.

"The poor girl! It's no wonder she behaves the way she does. She needs more kindness in her life, as well as fattening up. Now that I think about it, she _is_ rather thin. I shall see to it that the maid make more food so that Agatha can have second helpings of everything for a while. She should spend more time out of doors as well. The fresh air will put some spring into her step and build her strength. It will also clear her head. These gray walls and clothes _are_ rather depressing," Miss Glensferd added.

"I believe you," Nurse Stacey fervently agreed. "But since we could only afford gray, blue, and white materials of everything, we cannot do much about it."

(...)

The next couple of weeks were very enjoyable for Agatha. For reasons unknown to herself, but known to Agatha and Nurse Stacey, the maids gave her extra food and drinks. Also, she was allowed to go outside more often than the other children. She was able to go out after school at homework time, after supper, and almost all day on the weekends except mealtimes and church.

As a result, Agatha grew more plumper, and her eyes were no longer dull. The spring in her step would have pleased a stricter doctor than Nurse Stacey. Agatha's head was clearer and she was no longer filled with so much rage.

"You look better," Ruby observed one Sunday evening when Agatha came in the door. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes shone like stars.

Agatha beamed. "I am," she said simply. "Boy, am I hungry."

Ruby chuckled. "That's because you have such a huge appetite from running about in the fields. You're getting fatter too. The fresh air makes you stronger and healthier. Come on, there's something that I want to tell you at supper."

Looking around, Agatha saw children heading to the dining room. She and Ruby followed them.

After the maids served them their food, Agatha turned to Ruby. "So what is so important?"

Ruby leaned close to her. "I heard Miss Glensferd talking to Nurse Stacey. She was telling her about this woman who lives in a cottage in the woods. Miss Glensferd said that the lady wanted to adopt two sixteen-year-old girls to help her do the housework. In return, she would homeschool them and leave them money because she has no children. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we were chosen?"

"I suppose so, if she's not like our parents," Agatha remarked in a dubious voice.

"I know what you mean. But I don't think we'll have to worry about that very much. They said that she was a considerate and respectable woman," assured Ruby.

Mulling this over, Agatha thought that she may be right.

"Did they say when she will be coming?" Agatha asked.

"Next Sunday, after church."

(Next week)

Sure enough, after church, the woman did come. Miss Glensferd told the sixteen-year-old girls to stay in their church dresses while the lady inspected them.

The woman came at 2:30. Miss Glensferd greeted her with enthusiasm.

"Why, hello Miss Fairwater. It is good to see you. I'm glad that you made it here safely."

"Thank you, Miss Glensferd. It is good too see you as well. Shall we get to business? I want to get back home in time for supper. The journey is almost three hours," declared Miss Fairwater in a gracious voice.

"Of course. The girls are in the parlor. Come with me."

The girls were lined up against the vast wall as Miss Glensferd and Miss Fairwater entered the room, peering at them.

Miss Fairwater was a short, stocky woman. She had graying hair that was curled into tiny ringlets, black eyes, a small nose, and a prim mouth, She could not have been called pretty. Many decided that she was handsome or aristocratic.

The girls stood quietly as Miss Fairwater looked them over, examining their arms and legs. She nodded slightly at a few of them while frowning at bit at others. When she came to Agatha, her face lit up in delight.

"This girl is very strong and plump. She will be a good helper for me. And merciful goodness, she is so tall! She will not have any problems with reaching objects in very high places. Yes, this is the first girl I will pick," she announced.

Miss Fairwater continued. To Agatha's great relief, she was pleased with Ruby too.

"She is just like the other girl, except shorter. I will take her as well," Miss Fairwater proclaimed.

Beaming, Miss Glensferd stepped forward. "All right, then. Come to my office so that we can sort everything out."

Agatha, Ruby, and Miss Fairwater followed her. Miss Glensferd spoke to a maid on the way.

When they were in the office, Agatha and Ruby had to sit and wait while Miss Glensferd and Miss Fairwater filled out and signed important documents.

They had just finished when someone knocked on the door.

"You may enter," called Miss Glensferd.

Nurse Stacey opened the door and ambled into the room. "You wanted to see me, Headmistress?" she queried.

"Yes," Miss Glensferd replied. "I need to speak to you and Miss Fairwater in private. Agatha, Ruby, I need you to leave the room please."

"We should see what they are saying," Ruby hissed when the door closed behind them.

Both girls placed their ears on the door.

"Those girls seem to be well cared for, as if they had been raised by someone else before they came here," Miss Fairwater exclaimed.

"Funnily enough, that is the case," chortled Miss Glensferd.

"What is it that you wanted to see me for, Headmistress?" Nurse Stacey inquired.

"Oh yes, I would like you to meet Miss Fairwater. Miss Fairwater, this is Nurse Stacey."

"How do you do?" greeted Miss Fairwater.

"Very well, thank you. How are you?" asked Nurse Stacey.

"Very good, thank you."

Miss Glensferd cleared her throat. "Now, Nurse Stacey, this is the woman that will be adopting Agatha Trunchbull and Ruby Mellows. I wanted you to give Miss Fairwater information on Agatha and her counseling sessions. I will tell her about Ruby in asides." Miss Glensferd stated.

There was a brief pause.

"Well," Nurse Stacey began. "Agatha has had a lot of pain in her life. From what she has been telling me, her mother and father abused her since she was a very little girl. Then, a few weeks ago, her father...so to speak..._defiled_ her."

"Merciful goodness!" gasped Miss Fairwater in dismay.

"Ruby Mellows had a similar experience with _her_ parents. No one defiled her, of course. I have told Nurse Stacey to come here, though, because I want to know if she can continue her counseling at your house," Miss Glensferd said.

"Of course, Miss Glensferd. The poor _dear_."

"Nurse Stacey can come every Saturday at one o'clock, if it is not too much trouble."

"It will be no trouble at all, Miss Glensferd."

"Excellent. Now before you go, I need to give you some advice on Agatha. Her parents have often starved her, so make sure you give her plenty of food. Also, she needs a lot of fresh air and exercise, so make sure to let her out of doors often unless the weather is inclement."

"I will, Miss Glensferd. There will be no need to worry. Well, I have to get going."

"Very well. It was a pleasure, Miss Fairwater."

"And you, Miss Glensferd. Nurse Stacy, I will see you Saturday at one o'clock then?"

"Certainly, Miss Fairwater," Nurse Stacey responded.

Footsteps approached. Agatha and Ruby backed away hurriedly before the door opened.

Miss Glensferd smiled at them. "Miss Fairwater is ready to go. Change into one of your old clothes and pack your things. The orphanage dresses have to stay here. Leave them out on your beds."

Agatha and Ruby quickly did as they were told. Ruby took one last glance around the room.

"I'm glad that we're leaving this gray place," she sighed in bliss.

"Me too," chuckled Agatha.

Miss Glensferd was waiting by the front entrance with Miss Fairwater and Nurse Stacey, holding two brown paper bags.

"Here, girls. I have put some fruit and carrots in these bags for you to snack on for your trip. It is about three hours, and you may get hungry. Agatha, Nurse Stacey will see you every Saturdy at one o'clock for your counseling," Miss Glensferd added.

Agatha and Ruby nodded.

"All right, then. Good-bye, girls. I hope that you have a safe journey."

"Good-bye, Miss Glensferd," Agatha and Ruby said at the same time.

"Wait!" a voice shouted.

Everyone turned to see Sophia Robins rushing down the hall.

"Agatha...Ruby...I want to give you something," she panted.

Sophia held out her hand, which had two bracelets in it. One was blue, and the other was pink. Agatha and Ruby were pleased and surprised.

"Thank you, Sophia!" grinned Ruby, taking the pink bracelet.

"They are lovely," Agatha remarked, taking the blue one.

In return, Agatha gave Sophia a pair of her third best earrings, and Ruby gave her one of her necklaces. "Thank you," Sophia murmured.

Miss Glensferd beamed. "That was very generous."

The girls turned to Sophia again. "Well, we have to go. Good-bye," they declared. "I hope everything turns out okay for you," claimed Ruby.

"You too," Sophia returned.

All three girls embraced, then broke apart. Agatha and Ruby said one last good-bye to Miss Glensferd and Nurse Stacey and followed Miss Fairwater out of the door.

After getting in a large carriage, Miss Fairwater drove away from the orphanage. The girls waved to Miss Glensferd, Nurse Stacey, and Sophia until they rounded the bend.

"So," Miss Fairwater started once Agatha and Ruby turned around. "Miss Glensferd has told me some things about you two."

Agatha and Ruby exchanged meaningful looks.

Miss Fairwater continued. "She told me that you two were abused by your parents, especially you Agatha."

The girls sighed. "Yes. We were," Agatha whispered.

Shaking her head, Miss Fairwater muttered, "This is a shame. No one should ever treat their children that way. How did you two get to St. Octavia's?"

"We ran away from home together. We lived in the same village," Ruby replied.

"I see. How long have you known each other?"

"Since first grade."

"Ah. It was very brave of you to leave your homes. It is a good thing that you two could be there for each other in your troubling times."

Miss Fairwater turned to smile at them, and the girls grinned back.

Everyone sat in silence as the landscapes went by them slowly.

"So, what was it like at the orphanage?" inquired Miss Fairwater a long while later.

Ruby looked up. "It was not bad. Everyone was nice and they have good teachers for school."

Miss Fairwater nodded. "Wonderful. How did the food taste?"

"Great. They gave us enough of it," Agatha averred.

"Good. Most orphanage do not always have enough food for the children," Miss Fairwater said.

Agatha glanced at her. "What is your home like?"

Miss Fairwater was quiet for a moment. "It is big enough. There are two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. There is a large parlor downstairs which leads to a kitchen, where we will eat. The walls are white, and so is the house. The woods around it are thick, but there are no wild animals.

"In fact, now that you have mentioned the house, I will go over your duties.

"Since I am getting old, I cannot tend to my house like I used to. So, I want you to help me with the cooking and cleaning. Also, I used to be a teacher for all grades, so I can give you lessons during the weekdays. By the time you are eighteen, you will be able to go to college. I will pay for your tuition and boarding and anything else you may need. Finally, since I have no children, I will leave you money and all of my possessions. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Miss Fairwater," the girls responded.

Miss Fairwater nodded.

The next two hours crawled by sluggishly. No one did or said very much. Occasionally, Agatha and Ruby would eat whatever they had in their bags.

Presently, Miss Fairwater announced, "Ah! Here we are."

Agatha and Ruby started and looked around. They had come to the edge of a dense forest. The sunlight barely penetrated the trees.

It was fifteen minutes before they got to the middle of the woods, where there was a clearing. At the center of it was a white, two-story cottage. It had a red chimney, a blue gable, blue shutters, and a red door.

"Welcome to Fairwater Cottage," proclaimed Miss Fairwater.


End file.
